The Aubrey Lady Chaparrals soccer team opened their 2026 playoff run with back-to-back wins, beating the Caddo Mills Lady Foxes 3-0 on March 20 and the Village Tech Viper Squids 8-0 on Monday night.
After neither team scored in the first half, the Lady Chaps took control of the second half of their bi-district matchup with the Lady Foxes and used that momentum to dismantle the Viper Squids in the Area Championship.
“It was a tough first half,” said Kelli Baker, Aubrey head girls soccer coach. “We lost some people to injury in the first 15 minutes, our starting [goal] keeper and our starting center back, but everybody stepped up and just played. We calmed down at half time, and everybody decided that if we’re going to do this, we have to do it together. One person is not going to win the game, and we scored three goals in the second half. Caddo Mills is a good team, and we just outlasted them in the end.”
In the Lady Chaps opening matchup, neither club was able to find the back of the net until Aubrey junior midfielder Landry Gannon slipped through the Lady Foxes’ defense, scoring the game’s first goal.
“I picked my head up when I got the ball, and I saw my teammates made great runs that opened up the middle of the field for me, and I went at the defense and then took my opportunity,” Gannon said. “I missed a couple in the first half, so I was hoping I could put that one away, and I honestly give credit to my teammate for setting me up.”
Gannon’s goal helped the Lady Chaps find their footing and take control of the remainder of the match.
“The momentum really kicked in, and we realized that it’s win or go home and we have to keep it up,” Lady Chaps sophomore midfielder Kali Madden said. “In the playoffs we have to give all we have and leave it all out on the field, and everyone stepped up and did what was needed.”
Madden added the Lady Chaps’ second goal, followed by sophomore center forward Daniella Dominic-Etuk, who scored Aubrey’s third goal of the night, sealing the 3-0 win.
After the win, Dominic-Etuk said the Lady Chaps game plan for the next round was simple.
“We’re hoping we can do the same thing we did in this game, continuing to be aggressive and working as a team,” she said.
Dominic-Etuk’s hopes came true, with Aubrey rolling over Village Tech on Monday night.
Madden got the scoring barrage started off an assist from sophomore Grace Taylor, putting Aubrey up 1-0.
A few minutes later, freshman Payton Canterbury found an open Dominic Etuk, who used her head to tap the ball past Village Tech’s goalie, putting the Lady Chaps up 2-0.
Gannon kept the momentum going for Aubrey with a first-half hat trick that extended the Lady Chaps’ lead to 5-0 at the half.
The Lady Chaps would continue to pile on the points in the second half, with goals from Madden, Canterbury and junior Averie Santos, taking the area championship 8-0.
“We had a lot of underclassmen step up, with half of our goals coming from freshmen and sophomores, but Friday will be a test,” Baker said.
The Lady Chaps will meet the Henderson Lady Lions in the regional semifinals at 6 p.m. Friday.
The location for the match was not available by press time.
