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Matthew Brito (7) gets ready to kick the ball back into play during the Wildcats' game against Mabank Wednesday. Brito was one of three Wildcats to score a goal in their 3-2 victory. Photo by DJ Spencer
SS holds off late rally
The Sulphur Springs Wildcats broke their three-game winless streak Wednesday by defeating the Mabank Panthers 3-2 at Gerald Prim Stadium. The game would see the Wildcats jump out to a commanding lead, then hold off a late rally at the end, as Sulphur Springs secured the win.
The first half didn’t feature much action early on, as both teams played well on defense. After 20 minutes, that changed when JJ Gomez scored a goal off an assist from Jaxson Haire, giving the Wildcats an early 1-0 lead.
From there, both teams returned to mostly playing strong defense. Then, with just over two minutes remaining in the first half, the Wildcats scored again when Juan Santacruz scored a goal on a penalty kick, raising the Wildcats’ lead to 2-0.
As the second half began, both teams played hard and tough early on. Then, just under 10 minutes into the half, the Wildcats got on the board again when Matthew Brito scored a goal off an assist from Jimmy Garcia, raising the score to 3-0.
Nearly 10 minutes later, the Panthers got on the board with a goal of their own, trimming the score to 3-1. The Panthers would continue to fight. Then, with under four minutes remaining, the Panthers scored another goal, cutting the score to 3-2.
Though Mabank continued to try and tie the game, the Wildcats’ defense held strong in the final minutes, preserving a 3-2 victory.
With the win, the Wildcats improved to 4-3-6 on the season. They will begin their district schedule Feb. 2, when they travel to Texarkana to face off against the Liberty-Eylau Leopards.