Canterbury boys soccer reaches Class 1A final

Cougars overcome physical BridgePrep to advance to championship match

Published on Feb. 21, 2026

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The Canterbury boys soccer team defeated BridgePrep Village Green 2-1 in the Class 1A semifinal, securing a spot in the championship match. The Cougars dealt with a physical and technical Bulldogs team, but goals from James Tomlinson and Mathias Perez were enough to earn the victory. Canterbury will now play either Pine or Rocky Bayou Christian for the Class 1A title.

Why it matters

Canterbury's boys soccer team is one win away from a state championship, joining their female counterparts who also reached the final. The Cougars have been to the Final Four before, but are looking to capture their first state title since 2022 and 2023 when they lost to Rocky Bayou Christian.

The details

The Cougars got on the board in the 15th minute when James Tomlinson beat the BridgePrep defense and scored. The Bulldogs were then reduced to 10 men before halftime after a red card. Tomlinson was injured on a hard tackle and had to leave the game, but Mathias Perez converted a penalty kick to make it 2-0. BridgePrep scored late, but it wasn't enough as Canterbury held on for the victory.

  • The match was played on February 20, 2026.
  • Canterbury scored in the 15th minute to take a 1-0 lead.
  • A BridgePrep player was issued a red card just before halftime.
  • Mathias Perez scored on a penalty kick in the second half to make it 2-0.
  • BridgePrep scored in the 77th minute, but it was too late.

The players

James Tomlinson

Canterbury's leading scorer who was injured in the match and may not be available for the championship game.

Mathias Perez

Canterbury player who scored the team's second goal on a penalty kick.

Tomas Hegedus

Canterbury's goalkeeper who made several key saves to preserve the victory.

Jared Rust

Canterbury's head coach who praised his team's gameplan and execution against a tough BridgePrep squad.

Leonel Gutierrez

BridgePrep's goalkeeper who was aggressive in coming off his line but ultimately couldn't prevent the two Canterbury goals.

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What they’re saying

“I thought we had a pretty good game plan for the match. They were super good. They were very technical, lots of speed, a real physical battle. I thought we had a good gameplan about how to push them to certain areas and put them in certain situations where we thought they could make mistakes in their own third of the field, which is what led to the first goal... It was back and forth, really physical, really fast. No one really had control of the game.”

— Jared Rust, Canterbury head coach (news-press.com)

“The style of play that they're looking to do, is they're looking to get the ball wide and run at you on the dribble, and make things really difficult. If you're playing in that way, it makes it a lot simpler for teams if they go a man down, because they don't need all the pieces. They were super vulnerable in transition when they lost their man. We were getting behind them at times when we finally won the ball, but they were very good at keeping the ball and very good at getting the ball wide and just running at us over and over.”

— Jared Rust, Canterbury head coach (news-press.com)

“His length, his height, his ability to just get the ball when it's at a high position, is what makes it very special. As a goalkeeper, he can get to things that a lot of guys just can't get to. To come out and make that play in that moment when we're feeling like we're up against it, knowing that the time's getting low, they're going to whip everything that they possibly can into the box to create a chance, it was exceptional from him.”

— Jared Rust, Canterbury head coach (news-press.com)

What’s next

Canterbury will play either Pine or Rocky Bayou Christian in the Class 1A championship match on Saturday. The Cougars are looking to win their first state title since 2022 and 2023 when they lost to Rocky Bayou Christian.

The takeaway

Canterbury's boys soccer team has overcome a physical and talented BridgePrep squad to reach the Class 1A championship match, joining their female counterparts. The Cougars have been to the Final Four before, but are seeking their first state title in several years as they look to cap off a successful season.