CONCEPCION LEDEZMA

•  Region 3-5A quarterfinal — Douglas 5, Western 0: It was as easy as it looked, yet Douglas coach Stu Katz wasn’t happy with his team’s performance in a thumping of Western in the Region 3-5A quarterfinals at Douglas on Wednesday night.

Katz knows that if the Eagles are to advance past the next game at St. Thomas, they have to be much better.

“I don’t think we played especially well. I think we are capable of better things and we certainly need to bring better things. Regardless of who we are playing we need to be better,” Katz said.

“That’s something we are going to have to figure out. And they didn’t cut our grass. The grass was long. I just thought we could have been better.”

One team will be eliminated with its first loss of the season as Douglas will enter with a 22-0 record; St. Thomas is 17-0. Douglas is ranked No. 3 in the nation according to MaxPreps, while St. Thomas is ranked No. 32. But the Raiders are the defending state champions.

The two teams met in the same round last year with St. Thomas walking away with a 2-1 win on penalty kicks en route to the Class 5A state championship.

Brianna Raaf scored two goals to give the Eagles a 2-0 lead in the first half and Douglas blew the game open in the second half behind a pair of goals from Alexis Wilson and a goal by Monica Rojas to close out the scoring.

While Katz wasn’t happy with his team’s overall performance, the Eagles didn’t give up a shot on goal until the 70th minute.

The focus must be there immediately when they step on the field against the Raiders, according to Katz.

“They are a very good team. They are what they normally are,” he said.

“We need to be better to beat them. From the first day of practice, at some point, we’re going to have to play St. Thomas. It will be at their place. They are very good on their field. We are going to have to be at our best to beat them because right now, they are the best.”

Western’s finished the season at 12-6-3.

RUDY RODRIGUEZ-CHOMAT

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•  Region 4-2A quarterfinal — Heritage 3, Cardinal Gibbons 1: Mackenzie Fehl goal. Baylee Kennedy assist.