JV-A Spartans Upset First-Place Cy Falls with 1-0 Victory After a Strong 3-1 Win at Cy Fair

Following on a strong offensive performance at Cy Fair, the JV-A Spartans delivered a statement performance, shutting out first-place Cy Falls in a hard-fought 1-0 victory at home.

Stratford’s defense, anchored early on by Denys Artiukhov, Brayan Guardado, Braden Oliphant, and Benton Byrd set the tone early, limiting Cy Falls' chances. Goalkeeper Solomon made a key save at 22:00 to keep the match level. The Spartans gained momentum at 19:00, when Samuel Garrido was fouled on a run, setting up a 45-yard free kick for Kevin Espinosa, but his shot drifted just wide. A series of long-range free kicks by Espinosa at 14:44 and 12:55 kept the pressure on Cy Falls, but their defense held firm.

The breakthrough came at 12:00, when Samuel Garrido delivered a perfectly placed ball from 35 yards out, and Artiukhov rose up to head it into the right corner of the net, giving the Spartans a 1-0 lead. Stratford continued pressing, earning a corner kick at 9:40, but couldn’t convert. Cheng came up big again at 6:00, stopping a dangerous 25-yard free kick from Cy Falls to maintain the lead. Just before halftime, Zuniga had another opportunity but was forced to pull up as the keeper challenged him. Guardado made a crucial defensive stop at 1:20, sending the Spartans into halftime ahead 1-0.

The second half started with high drama, as Cy Falls earned a penalty kick at 29:00, but Solomon made a clutch save, keeping Stratford in the lead. Solomon denied another shot at 26:10, continuing his standout performance. The Spartans nearly doubled their lead at 24:48, when Garrido made a run into the box and fired a close-range shot, but it went just wide. He had another chance at 23:10, forcing the Cy Falls keeper into a fantastic save. Stratford continued to press, with Garrido setting up a dangerous cross at 20:20 and Hudson Hennessey’s shot at 19:39 being saved.

Defensively, Guardado and Emiliano Ponce made key stops, preventing Cy Falls from creating quality looks. In the final five minutes, Garrido led multiple attacking runs, including a dangerous cross at 5:14 after drawing the keeper out, but the Spartans couldn’t find a second goal. At 3:40, a corner kick by Alkassem led to a near reverse shot from Garrido, but the keeper made another strong save.

With Cy Falls pushing for an equalizer in the closing moments, Solomon made one final stop with 15 seconds remaining, securing the shutout victory. The Spartans upset the District leaders with a dominant defensive effort and clutch goalkeeping, closing out a 1-0 win. This vaults the Spartan JV-A Boys Team into a position to challenge for the District title over the final week of the season! Go Spartans!