MIDLAND In a season that’s already in the history books, West Texas FC is still has a chance to make it more special.
The team will be playing for the South Region title in the National Premier Soccer League playoffs and for a chance to advance to the national semifinals when it hosts Columbus United FC at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Astound Broadband Stadium.
For West Texas FC, the 2024 season has already been historic with the team winning its first Lone Star Conference title and advancing to the regional tournament.
“Obviously, it means a lot and it means a lot to the club,” West Texas FC head coach David Ormiston said. “There’s been a lot of hard work going into this season but we’re also hungry for more.”
West Texas FC is coming off an easy 4-1 win against OKC 1889 FC Wednesday at Astound Broadband Stadium.
The team has been on a winning streak with eight victories in a row.
Two goals from Antoine Marques helped lead the hosts past OKC 1889 FC while Ethan Stevenson and Kareem Williams also found the back of the net.
“They’re a top team, winning the Heartland championship and we knew it was going to be a tough game,” Ormiston said. “It took a while to get into it but once we did, we believed in the team and what they’re capable of. The win was huge and we believed in the boys.”
>> LAST-SECOND PREPARTION: Competing in the regional tournament has been unfamiliar territory for West Texas FC and has posted a few challenges with game preparation.
With only three days to get ready for the next playoff game, there’s not a lot of time to prepare for a team that West Texas FC hasn’t gone up against this season.
“It presents different challenges and we do the best we can,” Ormiston said. “We watch game film. We scout players and see who’s going to be dangerous and see how they’re going to line up. By the end of the day, with all that said, we still know the level of guys we have and believe in ourselves as a coaching staff to get the most out of them. It is what it is at this stage. But we’re ready for anything.”
>> HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE: One thing West Texas FC hasn’t had to worry about so far is traveling during the postseason.
After locking up the No. 1 seed in the Lone Star Conference, the team was at home for both of last week’s conference tournament games.
Their record has been good enough to keep them at home throughout the regional tournament this week.
“That’s a massive part of it,” Ormiston said. “It helps with preparation and having fans there to cheer on the guys has been a massive step. Columbus has to travel all day (Friday) and we get to stay here and use that time to prepare.”
Still, Ormiston and his players know it’ll be a tough contest this weekend as they face the Gulf Coast Sunshine Conference winners.
Columbus United is also coming off a 3-2 victory against Hickory FC on Wednesday.
Goals from Bruno Garcia, Josiah Fontenot and Devin Vital helped carry the team past its regional semifinal round.
“It’s going to be a tough challenge,” Ormiston said. “Columbus won the Gulf Coast Sunshine Conference and that’s a really strong conference, probably the toughest besides the Lone Star Conference. They’ve beaten some really good teams to get here and they present a difficult task, but one that we’re capable of stepping up to.”
>> MISSING MVP: No Olivier Correa on Wednesday? No problem. Despite having the Lone Star Conference MVP out with an injury, West Texas FC still managed to get the job done against OKC 1889 FC.
However, it’s not clear if Correa will be ready for Saturday’s game.
“We’ve got all sorts of great players,” Ormiston said. “Obviously, Olivier has been a massive part of that being conference MVP but the team is full of talent and everyone steps up to the plate. We’ve got a good team all around.”
