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The Bastrop Bears fought and clawed their way back in the final minutes, but the visiting Pflugerville Connally Cougars held on to win 2-1.
Bastrop is now 0-2-1 to start district play. Both losses were by just one point against some of the top teams in the district.
Both offenses were aggressive coming out of the gate in the Feb. 3 contest. Neither team was able to establish control throughout the early part of the first half, but the Cougars started to flip the script. The visiting team began maintaining possession for long stretches and eventually cashed in a goal about midway through the half, giving Pflugerville Connally a 1-0 lead.
The Bastrop defense remained on its heels due to the Cougars’ high-attacking pressure. Bears goalkeeper Ezra Gaona prevented a largening deficit by making one highlight save after another. Bastrop was still very much alive down by just one point at the break.
The Bears finally started to establish a rhythm offensively to open up the second half. They suddenly were the team holding onto the ball for long stretches, attempting several shots on goal.
The Bears were knocking on the door for most of the half, but the Cougars soared down the field and scored a quick goal, extending their lead to 2-0 with just over 15 minutes left to play. Pflugerville Connally nearly scored again in the ensuing moments, but Gaona made another clutch save.
The home team refused to give in. The Bears played fiery defense and launched off shot attempts whenever they had an inkling of space. Eventually, a beautifully placed pass by Salvador Uresti on a free kick led to a successful header for Bastrop. The Bears still had a chance down 2-1 with 10 minutes left.
The Bears were relentless down the stretch. They were unable to score the tying goal, however, and lost 2-1.
Bastrop has a chance to earn district wins this week against Elgin (Feb. 7) and Cedar Creek (Feb. 10). Both contests are scheduled to start at 7:15 p.m.
