Emotions were on full blast for the Hixson High School boys’ soccer team seconds after defeating East Ridge 2-1 in Thursday’s TSSAA District 6-3A championship game at Camp Jordan’s Stadium Field.
Hixson goalkeeper Tariq Reese and midfielder Pablo Sanchez made heroic plays within minutes of each other in the second half to help seal the Wildcats’ first district tournament title since May 12, 2015. The two seniors embraced after the final horn sounded, and their head coach sat on a bucket with tears in his eyes as his team went to celebrate with the friends and family who packed the right side of the concrete bleachers.
“We have been working to have pride in Hixson,” third-year head coach Jimmy Lessentine said after the win. “For a while there, the program dropped away and a lot of kids didn’t feel like they wanted to be here anymore. We have been building a culture and changing our program for the last three years to embrace the entire community of Hixson.
“They are not just taking pride in our school, but in their portion of the city. They have turned into a family. They are no longer individuals, and I couldn’t ask more of them.”
Reese made an outstanding diving save in the 62nd minute to halt an incredible attack orchestrated by East Ridge’s Serjio Loarca and Alex Miguel. It was those two Pioneers standouts who struck first, just five minutes into the game, when Miguel sent a cross for a one-touch strike out of the air by Loarca for an incredible goal. Loarca shared the district regular-season MVP honors with Signal Mountain’s Andrew Baker when they were awarded after the title match.