Farris Stadium was all but empty, save for a newspaper photographer filing images, a Northside ISD employee driving around in a utility vehicle and collecting water coolers, and three law enforcement officers.

As spectators filtered about in a parking lot, Taft High School girls soccer coach Scott Davis stood along the sideline on the visitor’s side of the facility. His squad had just defeated district foe Brennan 5-0 in the third round of the UIL Class 6A playoffs and he was retrospective.

Davis’ thoughts at the moment, just as they had a few days earlier, drifted to his high school coach in Nacogdoches, Texas. Farshid Niroumand, who amassed a 418-122-58 record, 24 playoff appearances and 11 district titles in 32 years and coached former U.S. national team standout Clint Dempsey, never made it to the sport’s biggest stage.

For the second year in a row, Davis’ Raiders find themselves only two wins from advancing to the state tournament.

Taft (20-0-4) plays Round Rock (19-0-4) at 1 p.m. Friday in the Region IV-6A semifinals at Comalander Stadium. The teams met in this round in 2023, with Round Rock prevailing 2-1.

“I just think about how lucky and blessed that I’ve been to get there and to have this group that I got to ride their coattails,” said Davis, who is in his 22nd year. “It’s really, really special. You can’t take it for granted.

“I appreciate it, I appreciate the kids, their work ethic to get there, the goal that they set to get back there and ideally further. I want to remember every day that I’m really blessed to be in this position as the coach of this team and cherish that.”

Taft has had plenty to cling onto in recent years. A perennial playoff contender for the majority of their existence, but with only had one deep run to show for it, the Raiders got over the proverbial hump a year ago when they earned their first regional tournament berth since 1991.

A heartbreaking loss, in which Taft led 1-0 in the second half before Round Rock notched two unanswered goals for a 2-1 triumph, has served as motivation. With nine starters returning from a squad that finished 22-1-1, the aspirations and expectations were high.

“The hunger started last season when we went home in regionals,” Taft senior midfielder Layla Rangel said. “We were hungry for more, and we knew we could strive for more because we were right there with them last time. I feel like we were the underdog for most of last year, and even the beginning of this season. We’re just really excited to come out and show everybody what we’re really about.”

The proving ground started right off the bat. After opening the season with an 8-1 win vs. District 30-6A champion Laredo United, the Raiders traveled to The Woodlands’ Lady Highlander Invitational on Jan. 4-6.

Taft topped host and longtime state power The Woodlands 4-3 and Klein Cain 4-1 to open the three-day event, then rallied to tie 2018 state champion Houston Memorial 4-4. The Raiders trailed in all three games.

“I think psychologically, it was more important for us to play the teams that had the names,” Davis said.

Taft defeated Buda Johnson in its final non-district contest. The fast start was tempered when the team began District 29-6A play with back-to-back draws vs. Brennan and O’Connor and had a 4-0-3 record.

“It took us a little while at the beginning of the year to adjust to that ideal that everybody’s going to give us their best game,” Davis said. “We didn’t always expect that.”

Taft is 16-0-1 since, with a 1-1 tie vs. O’Connor as the only blemish. The turnaround has featured a deep, talented attack headlined by Jordan Matthews (50 goals, 12 assists), Rangel (21 goals, 23 assists), Julissa Gonzalez (16 goals), Jessiny Aguillon (eight goals, 14 assists and Alejandra Davis (20 assists), and a stout defense led by goalkeeper Madissyn Harris (0.74 goals-against average) and Bella Galan, Brynn Navin, Mya Taylor, Kaylee McCrum and Victoria Brooke.

“We just have a great group of kids that just work really hard, and they’re very serious about the game,” Davis said. “That makes my job really easy.”

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