TEMPLE, TX — It was a tale of two halves and a frantic final whistle on Tuesday evening at the Temple Soccer Complex. In a back-and-forth District 12-6A battle, the Temple Wildcat JV White soccer team fought to a 3-3 draw against the Bryan Vikings, seeing a potential victory slip away in the literal closing moments of the match.

The Wildcats appeared to have the game in hand until a defensive whistle in the final five seconds changed everything. A late penalty called against Temple inside the box awarded Bryan a penalty kick, which the Vikings converted to stun the home crowd and level the score as time expired.

The Rocha-Garcia Connection

The story of the night for Temple was the seamless chemistry between Jose Rocha and Damian Garcia. The duo was responsible for the bulk of the Wildcats' offensive production:

Goal 1: Jose Rocha found the back of the net early, assisted by Damian Garcia.

Goal 2: The roles reversed as Garcia notched a goal of his own, courtesy of a well-placed assist from Rocha.

Goal 3: Rocha completed a stellar individual performance by recording his second assist of the night, setting up Dario Luna-Lebron for Temple’s third goal.

Despite the offensive explosion and Rocha's three-point contribution (1G, 2A), the Wildcats were unable to slam the door on a resilient Bryan squad that refused to quit.

District Standings & What’s Next

With the draw, the Wildcats move to 1-2-1 in District 12-6A play. While the ending was a tough pill to swallow, the offensive rhythm displayed on Tuesday provides a solid foundation as the team hits the road for their next challenge.

Upcoming Matchup:

Opponent: Copperas Cove Bulldawgs
Date: Friday, February 6
Location: Bulldawg Stadium
Kickoff: 4:30 PM