Rough Rider soccer team makes historic Final Four playoff run
It’s a season Saginaw High School soccer will never forget.
For the first time in school history, the SHS Rough Riders advanced to the UIL State Semifinals, finishing as one of the top four teams in the state. The team’s record-setting run came to an end in a hard-fought match against Highland Park at Coppell High School.
Despite the chilly weather, fans filled the stands in support of the Rough Riders during their historic match. The team brought intensity from the first whistle to the last, but Highland Park managed to find two openings that ultimately sealed the 2-0 final.
Though the scoreboard didn’t fall in their favor, the Rough Riders cemented their place in school history. This team not only raised the bar—they set a new standard for SHS boys soccer.
Their journey through the playoffs was nothing short of remarkable. One standout moment came in the Area Playoffs against Mansfield Summit. After a tight first half, the Rough Riders exploded offensively in the second. Pelun Wadam put SHS on the board with a first-half goal assisted by Alan Sanchez. Then came a highlight-reel sequence: Saul Ruiz delivered a corner kick that Aaden Segovia headed into the net. Ruiz followed with a goal of his own, and Segovia closed out the game with an electrifying 35-yard shot that head coach Colin Yocom described as an “unstoppable shot.” SHS won the match 4-0, claiming the Area Championship title for the second year in a row.
The Rough Riders continued their streak through the Regional Semifinals, defeating El Paso Burges to advance to the Final Four—a first for the SHS soccer program.
SHS wasn’t the only team rewriting history this season. Over at Chisholm Trail High School, the Rangers boys soccer team also made its first-ever playoff appearance—and what a debut it was.
In a tense Area Playoff match against the Joshua Owls, the Rangers held strong through regulation play, ending in a 1-1 tie. Chisholm Trail found its opening in overtime with an early goal, sealing the 2-1 win and earning the title of Area Champions for the first time in school history.
The Rangers advanced to the Regional Semifinals before falling to El Dorado High School, closing the season with a legacy-making playoff run of their own.
From Saginaw to Chisholm Trail, our EMS ISD boys soccer programs showed incredible heart, grit, and determination this season—laying the foundation for even more milestones to come.
