Back-to-back champs

LAKEWOOD RANCH — Delaney Riggins had one chance to make it count.

The Lakewood Ranch High senior forward broke through the middle of the field and watched the ball sail off a Seminole defender’s head and land at her feet.

Riggins went with her instinct, pushing the ball into the penalty box and sending the ball into the right corner of the goal, past Seminole goalkeeper Bria Riancho.

“I was so nervous,” Riggins says. “I was like, ‘Where do I place the ball?’”

Riggins’ goal with 5 minutes, 21 seconds remaining in regulation propelled Lakewood to a 1-0 victory against Seminole in the Class 4A-Region 3 finals Feb. 2.

The game-winning goal was Riggins’ fourth goal of the regional tournament. Riggins, who controls the center front portion of the field for the Lady Mustangs, has scored all four of Lakewood’s goals in the regional tournament; she has 14 for the season.

Riggins has spent a portion of the season setting up scoring opportunities for the Lady Mustangs by passing the ball to fellow forwards Sophia Falco and Talia Falco.

But, recently, Riggins has kept the ball at her feet and finished things off for the Lady Mustangs. And no one has been happier about the decision than Lakewood coach Guy Virgilio.

“You can always expect that if Delaney gets the opportunity, she is going to finish,” Virgilio says. “As soon as I saw her going (toward the goal), my heart was almost in my throat. I felt more comfortable that she was going to put it away, but I couldn’t wait to see it going in.”

With the win, the Lady Mustangs advance to the Florida High School Athletic Association Final Four for the second-consecutive season and will face Melbourne in a rematch of last season’s state semifinal.

“It feels so good to go back to states,” Riggins says. “Oh my gosh, it’s crazy. It’s the best feeling we’ve had all season.

“We’ve worked incredibly hard, and I’m so proud of everyone for finishing the game,” Riggins says.
Lakewood fell to Melbourne 2-0 on the Bulldogs’ home field last season. This year’s Final Four will be played at 12:30 p.m. Feb. 7 at Eastern Florida State College in Melbourne.

“We’re going back, and it feels great,” Virgilio says. “The key is now we need to get to the next level. It’s not going to be easy, but these girls keep surprising me, and I hope they surprise me a couple more times.

“We’re going to the same type of turf, so I feel like the playing field is level,” Virgilio says. “I keep telling the girls, ‘I like my chances.’”

The winner of Friday’s state semifinal will advance to the Class 4A championship at 3 p.m. Feb. 8.

“We are so excited and we really want to win this time,” Riggins says. “It would be heartbreaking if we lost, but it just feels so good to go back again.”

Be sure to follow the results on Twitter at Jen_Observer and on the East County Observer’s website and Facebook page for for live updates from Melbourne.

Contact Jen Blanco at [email protected].