Lake Travis boys soccer wins first state title, downing Plano on penalty kicks

GEORGETOWN — Lake Travis didn't secure its state soccer championship until goalkeeper Adam Schantz put his fingerprints on the ball.

For the record, Lake Travis and Plano were tied 0-0 after regulation. They were tied 0-0 after overtime. The Cavaliers won 4-3 on penalty kicks to claim the Class 6A championship Saturday night at Birkelbach Field.

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This was a game Lake Travis should have won in regulation. The Cavaliers dominated the match and earned an 8-2 edge in shots on goal. Plano goalie Henry Huffstetler was magnificent all night, repeatedly blocking Cavalier shots that appeared earmarked for the back of the net.

But when it mattered most, it was Schantz holding the game's MVP trophy.

In a match that seemed would never end, Plano made its first three penalty kicks. Lake Travis countered with three straight penalty kicks of its own.

That's when Schantz took over.

With the scoreboard in front of him reading 3-3, the Cavalier sophomore altered the outcome of the match by batting down a shot by Wildcat forward Aaron Myers.

Lake Travis took advantage of the break when Cavalier senior Alex Bethke, a Mary Hardin-Baylor pledge, blasted a kick that stroked the right corner of the neck to give the Cavs their 4-3 lead.

Plano's last chance for victory was wiped away when Schantz knocked down midfielder Diego Valera Zamora's shot to the left side.

Game over.

"I don't crack under pressure," Schantz said. "I've been dreaming about this moment — blocking a shot to win a championship — since I was 6 years old."

Lake Travis won its last 14 matches and finished the season 24-3.

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Lake Travis, though, sensed frustration because so many opportunities were thwarted. All told, neither team would score a goal in 100 total minutes.

In the second half, a 25-yard free kick by Cavalier midfielder Ben Platt hit the crossbar and caromed out of bounds. Earlier in the half, a shot by Lake Travis senior David Arellano-Vargas bounced off Huffstetler's hands.

Those heart-tugging moments just served to make the ending sweeter, Bethke said.

"The way the game went was perfect," Bethke said. "I wouldn't have wanted it to go any other way. It felt like we had dominated the game, though."

Lake Travis was 4-for-4 with its penalty kicks. The Cavaliers received consecutive conversions by midfielder Platt, midfielder Connor Sanders, midfielder Pablo Gill and Bethke.

Schantz was rushed by joyous teammates after the public address announcer said he had won the MVP. He said he gained an edge against Plano players because he watched their feet a split second before kicking the ball.

A boisterous crowd wearing red and black showed its appreciation, too, standing and cheering into the dark night. Every Cavalier bolted toward Schantz after Plano's final penalty kick was knocked away.

After the team was presented its gold medals, veteran coach David Bammel gathered his troops together. The soft-spoken coach then blasted a message the Cavaliers should remember, well, forever.

"You just made history tonight, fellas!"

This was also a special night for Debbie Garinger, who is in her first year as principal of Lake Travis High. After putting a medal around the neck of every player in the celebration line, she joked that she brought good luck to the team.

"My heart is filled with joy," Garinger said as she watched the players and coaches soak up the euphoria of the night.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Lake Travis boys soccer defeats Plano, wins Class 6A state title