With less than 20 seconds remaining in the second period, goalkeeper Hughston Taggart leapt up to defend a free kick coming from the sideline to secure the Salado Eagles’ 3-2 win over the Waco La Vega Pirates in the Region III   Quarterfinal tonight in Waco. 

It was the second free kick that the Pirates had in the final seconds of the game to send the game into overtime, the Salado defenders stepping up both times.

La Vega attacked the Salado goal three times in the final minute of the match but saw one of their shots sail over the crossbar with 45 seconds left on the unadjusted clock.

The clock was adjusted from 16 seconds to 1:00 just before the first free kick from the sideline.

Salado scored in the 14th minute of the game when Andrew Gilmore passed the ball from the left side of the La Vega goal to Freshman Luke Anderson running down the right side and putting it past the La Vega goal keeper for a 1-0 lead.

The Eagles carried that lead to the end of the first period. 

The Pirates tied the match in the first 30 seconds of the second period. A handball call against Morgan Adams set up a La Vega free kick deep on the Pirates’ side of the field. Juaquin Zarate boomed it past the line of Salado defenders and Johan Escobar kicked it just over Hughston Taggart’s hands to tie the match at 1-1.

Six minutes later, Salado retook the lead but at a very dear cost. Heckman was seriously fouled and injured within the La Vega penalty box. He would not return for the rest of the game. This set up a direct kick for Salado. 

Luke Anderson faked going left with the kick, getting the goalkeeper going that way, and then kicked it to right half of the net for a 2-1.

In the 53rd minute of the match, Zarate cleared a shot from more than 25 yards out that sailed just over Taggart’s hands to tie the game.

La Vega goalkeeper Ivan Magdaleno made saves against shots by Cody Roquemore and Adams in the 54th and 56th minutes of the match.

La Vega’s Pavel Ramirez missed a cross shot in the 57th minute of the match.

Adams passed the ball backwards to Zion Musselman but his shot missed in the 58th minute of the match.

In the 61st minute, Jackson Husung’ shot on a pass by Anderson hit the top of the crossbar.

Taggart made a save against Timothy Rusu’s crossing shot in the 62nd minute.

Ramirez returned the favor denying Musselman in the 63rd minute.

Seconds later, Adams split three defenders with fancy footwork and speed and put a shot across his body from the wide left side of the goal into the right side of the net for the game winner at the 64th minute.

Even though the final 15 minutes went without a score, the game was not decided until the final 10 seconds when Taggart made the save on the free kick from the Eagles’ right side of the field.

Salado, 21-3, will play the winner of the East Chambers and Columbus matchup at 5 p.m. April 8 at Legacy Stadium in Katy ISD.