AUSTIN, TX - In 2008, Bowie High School became the first team in Central District history to make it to the playoffs in their first year in Division I.  In 2009, the Cedar Park Timberwolves did them one better by becoming the first team in the Central District, and perhaps in all of Texas, to win a playoff game in their first year in Division I.   Cedar Park faced Westwood in a quarterfinal match on Sunday, April 26 and came away with a thrilling 13-12 win.  The game was close from the beginning as Westwood held a 4-3 lead after the first quarter and an 8-6 lead at halftime.   Ten seconds into the second half, Westwood scored again to go ahead by three goals.  Cedar Park responded by ripping off three straight goals to enter the fourth quarter tied at 9-9.  The T-wolves took the lead several minutes into the fourth quarter on a goal by Gerad Stratton.  Stratton scored another goal several minutes later to break another tie and put Cedar Park ahead for good. The final minutes of the game were very hectic and with two minutes left Cedar Park took advantage of a man-up situation that took the Westwood goalie out due to a holding call.  Stephen Smith scored the final Cedar Park goal while Westwood had a backup goalie in net.  Westwood added a goal to make it a one-goal game in with thirty four seconds left in the game, but could not get the equalizer before time expired. Stephen Smith led the T-wolves with five goals.  Gerad Stratton had three goals, Ryan Fairclough had two goals and an assist, followed by Nick Speir with two goals and Chris Asher with a goal and three assists.   Rylan Gilley led the defense with a career-high seventeen ground balls.  Ryan Fairclough had ten ground balls, Gerad Stratton had four, Nick Speir and Stephen Smith each had three and the entire team recorded 50 ground balls to thirty-one for Westwood.  CP Goalie Colton Yarborough made eight saves, one of them coming n the fourth quarter on a point blank shot on a seemingly empty net where he dove across the crease to make a nearly impossible save.  Cedar Park outshot Westwood 56-26 while the defense held the Warriors to only one extra-man goal in eleven chances.  “I was pleased with the entire team’s play,” said Cedar Park head Coach Chris Knight after the game.  “We passed well and played very tough defense the entire game.  Rylan Gilley earned the game ball for playing an outstanding defensive game.”

Click here to read Hill Country News Article on the game. Crosse-currents: Cedar Park (8-8, 6-4) moves on to the District semifinals where they will face McNeil next Saturday at House Park, beginning at 5:30PM.  Austin High will play Bowie in the other DI semifinal game.  The winners of those two games face off on Sunday, May 2 to determine the Central District entrant into the State tournament to be held on May 9-10 at House Park in Austin.   Westwood High was the only team in the Central District whom the T-wolves had never beaten.