DECATUR -- The Bulldog soccer team traveled east to Harrison to play Bergman in the 2A district tournament May 5.
Decatur, after finishing the regular season with a 9 and 8 record, took the field in Harrison with the hope of adding another district title to the trophy case at Peterson Gym.
The Bulldogs took control early and never looked back. They took the first round of the district tournament by defeating the Panthers 11 to 1. Tony Mendoza, who was named to the all-state soccer team last week, scored seven of a total 11 points.
Decatur advanced to the second round, meeting a team they have played before. The Danville Little Johns had defeated the Bulldogs at home earlier in the season. Decatur, however, had also handed Danville a defeat on their home field later in the season.
Unfortunately, the magic that possessed the Bulldogs in the Bergman game vanished as the Little Johns knocked the Bulldogs out of district with a 4 to 1 loss, ending the Bulldogs' 2014 season.
The Decatur Bulldog soccer team, which started out sluggish early in the season, came together when they needed to get into district. But the same problems that plagued them throughout resurfaced in the end. And for coach Barry James the defeat in Harrison was bitter-sweet.
"We had a pretty good season," Coach James said. "I wish we could have gone on to state, but it was not to be."
The Decatur Bulldogs ended the 2014 season with an overall record of 10 and 9.
Soon practice will begin for the 2015 season, with many Bulldogs returning. As for now, it will be a wait and see what the future will bring. The story of the Decatur Bulldog soccer team will have to wait until next March.
Sports on 05/14/2014