Kellydad

Kelly and Nolan played in Ft. Worth on a very windy day. The winds were 25 to 30 mph with gusts to 40. It played havoc with both teams but I think the Nolan players were a little more used to it than the Kelly guys. The game was well played by both sides and could have gone either way. It was also well officiated add we have no complaints there. Nolan scored at about the 20 minute mark on shot high in the net just out of the Keeper's reach and against the wind. The Nolan player did a nice job of sending it high and letting the wind keep it down and into the top of the net. Matt Kirby was not full speed and still wearing a brace on his ankle. He did not start either half but came in about 10 or 15 minutes in. Kirby scored on low shot to the far corner from the right side after getting the Keeper out of position. It was a very good shot with couple of defenders on him and a difficult angle. It was 1-1 at half time and Nolan got the wind in the second half. I think it was almost harder to score with the wind than into it. The ball just kept getting away and getting blown across the line for goal kicks. Nolan scored to go up 2-1 on a curving corner kick from the left side that the wind helped into the far corner at about the 60th minute. Kelly had some chances after that but just couldn't get the shot off or missed when it did. Kelly seemed to have more difficulty going into the wind than Nolan. Nolan had some very good defensive players who had something to do with it also. Its too bad that these two teams had to meet before the state tournament, because from what I have seen, I think these may be the two best teams in the TAPPs playoffs. I wouldn't be surprised if Nolan won state. They were state champs last year with a largley junior team, and those guys are now seniors. Kelly had a great run this year, and I congratulate the players and Coach Joe on a fine year.

Kelly lost 2-0. Matt Kirby was out with an ankle injury and the field was in the worst condition I have ever seen it; pure mud. Kelly usually has an advantage at home because we play on a large field. St. Thomas has a small field in their football stadium surrounded by a track. The mud largely negated our speed and skill advantage and made it a game of odd or lucky bounces. Kelly had a lot of chances to score but just couldn't finish in the mud. St. Thomas scored in the first half on a ball that appeared to be rolling to the keeper but just stopped in a wet spot right in front of a St. Thomas player. The second goal was when a defender and the keeper collided and the ball rolled right in front of a St. Thomas player for an easy score. I will give credit to the St. Thomas keeper for making some great stops. Stockie for Kelly made a great stop on a PK. However, I think on a dry field Kelly wins with or without Kirby. Both teams had already clinched first round bye, but now St. Thomas wins district and gets their first playoff game at home. Kelly has to travel to play the winner of the Dallas area district which appears to be Ft. Worth Nolan.

I've known Joe a long time and my son played for his select team. He was a good player but not a superstar but Joe saw something in him and came to our house to ask him to play for his team. The select team had a lot of talent but it was not a team that most coaches would have put together. It was largely hispanic with 5 or 6 anglos but it was a team that really worked hard and played together. Nobody was a superstar but everbody did his job and would not tolerate anybody that didn't and neither would Joe. Anybody that didn't give 100 per cent to the team was not there for long. Joe really worked with the players to develop their potential. He took these guys from super blue to Div. 1 premier league. If you know anything about club soccer it is awfully hard to get a team from Beaumont, Texas into Div. 1 much less the premier league. You have to play your way in and earn it on the field. Joe came to Kelly and completely turned a program around that in my son's junior year had gone into complete disarray and gave us a realistic shot at a state title. We lost in the state semis to the eventual state champs. My younger son plays this year, and he really has this team playing better than any Kelly team I have seen in years. In my admitably biased opinon, he is the best coach in the area and certainly the best coach I have ever been around.

Kelly beat St. Thomas in Houston tonight 3-1 Kirby had 2 goals and Corona had 1 Typical one-sided officiating but the team kept its cool and played a great game. If Kelly beats St. Thomas next Thursday in Beaumont, they are district champs.