Thanks to an airtight defensive effort and two goals from sophomore Ellie Wiseman, the varsity girls soccer team defeated Victoria West 2-0 in the area playoffs to make the UIL Sweet 16 for the first time in program history.

According to varsity coach Jason Rich, the game started in the locker room where the players prepared well mentally for the battle ahead. 

“In the locker room, we make sure the team believes in themselves and makes sure they know we are not the underdogs,” Rich said.

When the Knights walked out onto the Giddings High School pitch, they were stepping onto the field that would determines whether or not they would move on to regional playoffs or be sent home with their tails between their legs. Rich praised his team for entering that arena confident in their ability to walk away with the win if they played up to the standard of play they set for themselves. 

“They know they can play with any team in the state,” Rich said. “We reiterate that belief in themselves and their own abilities and their ability to play as a team and our team chemistry, but it’s not about my ability to do that, it’s about theirs.” 

While Wiseman was confident in herself and in her team, she said that her focus before the game was on playing her normal game and not getting in her head too much, despite the pressure of the area championship on the line.

“It’s obviously pretty nerve-racking going into a playoff game; however, I try to stay calm and composed and not let the nerves affect my game,” Wiseman said. “I remind myself it’s just another game, and to play like normal.”

Wiseman may have focused on playing her normal game, but Rich said the team did considerably more than that. In the first half, he said the team played at its highest level of the season. Rich said the team played fast and in sync throughout the first half. Both goals, scored by Wiseman in the first half, Rich said, were the product of the team’s intensity. 

“We found the game really quick and got off to a fast start,” Rich said. “We put them on their heels since we were on the attack straight from the get go and were able to get two early goals and set the tone for the game.” 

Junior captain Maya Tackett also acknowledged the speedy start by the Knights and credited Wiseman for her effort and ability to finish, something the Knights have struggled with throughout the season. 

“We settled into the game really fast, especially in the first half,” Tackett said. “ Ellie Wiseman—oh my gosh—having her scoring goals is what we needed because our defense is so solid, the keeper is so solid, but scoring has been a problem for us, so to get those goals early gave us the confidence we needed to keep going.” 

After Wiseman landed the first goal, she celebrated with her teammates as anyone would after scoring in such a huge moment, but she quickly shifted her focus from jubilation to making sure the team stayed focused on the task at hand.

“It felt great to score both goals and it’s always exciting to celebrate with everyone, especially in such an important game in the playoffs,” Wiseman said. “In that moment though, I was thinking about making sure we finish out the game and don’t get comfortable in our lead.” 

The Knights’ first goal was a team effort that began when freshman Ashtyn Gunning crossed the ball to Wiseman, who capitalized on the scoring opportunity in the middle of the field. While the goal was impressive, Rich said he believed it was the team’s second goal that showed  how skilled and technical the team can be in important moments. Just before the goal, the team huddled for a scheduled water break, which gave Rich a moment to give Wiseman a few words of encouragement, letting her know she had the ability to put one more goal on the board. 

“I remember telling Ellie, ‘I think you can beat the defense in a 1-v-1, so if you get the chance in the attacking third, don’t be afraid to just go to goal,’ and that’s exactly what she did,” Rich said. “It wasn’t an easy goal, so she really displayed her technical ability and her speed and strength, and it was just a classy finish from there.” 

Wiseman agreed that the water-break pep talk renewed her faith in her technical ability to create a scoring chance and finish it off.  

“The talk gave me the confidence to go 1-v-1, and made me start looking for opportunities to drive at defenders in the box,” Wiseman said. “It also feels good to have your coach show you that he trusts you on the ball.”

After surrendering two goals in the first half, the Warriors began the second half by accelerating their pace and increasing their aggression. The Knights also adjusted their formation. In the first half, the team deployed strong offensive positioning, whereas in the second half, the team sat deeper on the back line, creating a more defensive position, seeking to defend their two-goal lead. 

“I think in the second half we came out kind of shaky,” Tackett said. “Victoria West came out super strong, so we kind of had to stop and take a breath to find our rhythm again.”

Rich also noticed the shift in momentum as the second half began.  

“We started the second half slow and gave them more momentum because we dropped in to defend, probably a little deeper than we should have, so we invited some pressure on ourselves,” Rich said. “Obviously, we wanted to push for that third goal and not sit too deep, but we weren’t able to find that.” 

As the second half progressed, the referees issued more yellow cards, or warnings, to both teams for excessive fouls or protested them a little too vigorously. Rich said that the physicality and emotions are to be expected in playoff soccer and that the players must learn to manage their emotions and continue to play their game. 

“We have strong players, so if our opponents want to be physical then we can too,” Rich said, “but that being said, we never want to be dirty, but we won’t let anyone push us around.”

Wiseman saw the intensity of playoffs from the front lines. She earned a yellow card, and she drew fouls from the Warriors. Wiseman says it is important for the team to maintain its composure even when the game play gets more aggressive.

“I just tried to stay calm and make sure the team didn’t stop keeping possession and playing at our best,” Wiseman said. “Once we were up 2-0, we got more defensive and just focused on maintaining our lead.”

As the clock wound down, the Knights battled the clock as much as they did the Warriors. Victoria West put pressure on the Knight defense, which created scoring opportunities for the Warriors and made the last few minutes of the game incredibly stressful. 

“It was a little nerve-racking at the end,” Rich said. “They say 2-0 is the worst lead to have in soccer because it almost feels comfortable, but it’s not because at any second you could give up a goal, and it’s just a footrace from there on out.” 

Despite the anxiety, the team maintained the shutout and advanced to the regional playoffs. The Knights will face Barbers Hill this Friday at 7:30 p.m. in College Station. 

The winner of the game will make the Elite Eight in the UIL 5A D2 state playoffs. No prior McCallum girls soccer team has advanced to the Sweet 16 in the state playoffs. The 2024 Knights won two playoffs games just like the 2025 squad has, but the 2024 5A tournament had an additional round of play causing those Knights to reach the round of 32 after two wins.

Regardless of the history the team has already made, Rich said the team’s goals moving forward remain the same.  to continue their stay in the playoffs as well as continue to play at the level they are familiar with, one that will hopefully get them through to the next round. 

“Our mantra is to survive and advance,” Rich said. “Barbers Hill is an organized team with good defense and strong players, so we will need to continue to play with aggression as well as win the possession battle, counterattack quickly and continue to play our game.” 

Coach Rich says the team is excited to continue to face challenging opponents, and the primary strategy is to possess as much as possible and to use that possession to create constant scoring opportunities.

“We are fortunate to have a really good opponent because the competition brings out the best in us,” Rich said. “We need to be dangerous going forward and make sure we’re not just sitting back, inviting pressure on us and playing to our strengths rather than adjusting to what Barbers Hill is doing.”

Though the pressure of round three is real, Tackett made sure to stop and appreciate how far the team has already come, especially knowing this is the first time the team has made it to the top 16 teams in the state.

“At the beginning of the season, if you had told me we would be in this position, I would have been like ‘Yeah, that’s what we are trying to go for,’ but now that we are here, and we did it, let’s see just how far we can go.”

Wiseman says the team has high hopes for round three and plan on progressing even farther in the playoffs, knowing that they have the confidence and skill to make it deeper into the tournament.

“I think we are feeling good,” Wiseman said. “We are super excited to have made it this far, and we are just hoping we keep going. Everything is within reach so we aren’t going to settle, we want to win it all.”