Players have come and gone. The teams in their district have even changed. But when it comes to the intensity and stature of the LEE-Reagan boys soccer rivalry, there are few equals.

This much was reinforced on Friday night at Comalander Stadium.

In a tale of two halves, with each squad alternating having the better of play, the longtime foes battled to a 1-1 draw in a District 27-6A showdown.

“I think what it says about the programs, first and foremost, is the quality of the players,” Reagan coach Gilbert Villarreal said. “You don’t have those longevity of successful teams without talented kids and good hard-working players. They’ve had them and we’ve had them. Coach (David) Rogers and I have been lucky enough to be at the right place at the right time.”

The latest installment in a series that is nearly even over the past 10-plus seasons — LEE leads 9-7-7 in head-to-head meetings — and has featured its share of high-stake matchups, was an end-to-end affair. One of the schools has advanced to the Region IV-6A tournament in five of the past six completed seasons, with last year being the exception. They squared off in the regional final in 2018 and 2019, with Reagan prevailing in the former and LEE in the latter.

LEE (9-1-1, 2-1-1) overcame a 1-0 halftime deficit when it made the most of one of numerous scoring opportunities midway through the second half. Senior Angel Villasana gathered a pass from teammate Brayden Braun and dashed through the Reagan defense before depositing a shot inside the right post.

“I’m glad we got the equalizer,” said Rogers, whose team finished with nine shots on goal and 12 corner kicks but was often thwarted by Reagan goalkeeper Victor Velazquez. “You have to keep fighting and battling, even when the score’s not in your favor. I thought we were going to get another one. I think we were right on the cusp of getting one. I’m proud of how we battled in the second half. I thought the first half they outplayed us. I think in the second half we kind of turned the table.”

The Rattlers (3-5-3, 2-1-1), who are 2-0-2 in their last four matchups vs. LEE, grabbed a 1-0 advantage only 13 1/2 minutes into the contest when sophomore defender Braylon Jernigan outjumped an opponent and headed in teammate Sebastian Camelo’s pass.

“I was kind of happy with the way we kind of battled in the second half,” Villarreal said. “I thought the first half was really good for us. We’re just trying to figure out who we are as a team.”

Girls
Reagan 1, LEE 0: Mia Olague scored the game-winner with 15 1/2 minutes left. Teammate Kate Bingham had the assist.

The win helped the Rattlers (9-2-1, 3-1) bounce back from a 2-1 district setback vs. Johnson earlier in the week. LEE (4-2-3, 1-1-2) suffered its first loss in league play.

terrence@terrencesports.com
Twitter: @sa_terrence1