Rodney Wooters / Woo Doo Photo
A remarkable season for the Carroll boys soccer team came to a sudden and painful end in the regional semifinals, as Plano West secured a 3-2 overtime victory in a tightly contested playoff battle.
Carroll entered the postseason riding one of the most impressive runs in program history. The Dragons compiled a 16-0-9 record through the regular season and into the playoffs. The strong form carried into a back-and-forth semifinal matchup with the Wolves, where neither side allowed much separation.
Plano West struck early in the first half, but Carroll answered midway through the period when Drew Stitzel finished a well-placed opportunity off an assist from John Skiermont to even the score.
From there, the match unfolded as a playoff classic. Both teams traded pressure and chances, with defensive stops and key saves keeping the margin razor-thin through regulation. In overtime, Carroll briefly seized control when Skiermont found the back of the net to give the Dragons a 2-1 lead and put them within reach of a regional final berth.
But West responded quickly in the second overtime, capitalizing on sustained pressure to equalize before delivering the decisive blow in the closing minutes. A corner kick sequence led to a rebound opportunity in front of goal, where Peyton Perez finished the game-winner with just over two minutes remaining.