Oak Ridge took the first step toward its goal of advancing to the regional tournament last week with a 3-2 bi-district victory over Klein Oak. But to keep that quest alive, the Lady War Eagles will have to go through another talented team tonight.

Oak Ridge (13-6-2) will face off against Westlake (20-1-2) in the area round at 8 p.m. at Bryan High School. The Chaparrals were the District 15-5A champions this season, sweeping through league competition with a 12-0 record. Westlake defeated Hendrickson 2-0 last week in the bi-district round.

“We know that’s a very strong team,” Oak Ridge coach Jim Collins said. “They have very good team speed and height and can create some dangerous situations off of restarts, so we’re just going to have to mark up. I do believe it’s a good matchup for us because I do believe we have the team speed to play with them.”

The site of the game could play an important role in the outcome as well. The Lady War Eagles got to play at Bryan during the regular season. According to Collins, the dimensions of the field are slimmer than most, which he believes could play to his team’s advantage. click here for complete story