The 2019 NPSL Lone Star Conference playoffs kicked off Thursday, with a rematch of the Chisolm Trail Clasico. Denton Diablos finished second in the conference with a 9-0-3 record, while Fort Worth Vaqueros finished third on 7-3-2. Fort Worth was the only team to beat Denton twice during the regular season, leaving the Diablos with a thirst for revenge.

In a packed UNT Soccer Stadium, Denton struck first, with a goal in the 8th minute from Blake Willis, and while the Diablos managed several close chances, the score remained 1-0 at the half. Denton's Sam Garza narrowly sent several free kicks just wide or over the bar while Vaqueros goalkeeper Aamon Borjas held strong.

The second half quickly turned into a battle of set pieces and goalkeeping, with Sam Garza and Fort Worth's Jamie Lovegrove putting on a free kick display forcing Borjas and Diablos goalkeeper Estevan Vasquez to stand on their heads. Fort Worth clawed back level with a goal from Kalle Masue in the 54th minute, with what would prove to be the last goal scored in the match.

"I felt that the win was a complete team effort. Those men out there made the whole game manageable." - Aamon Borjas

The majority of the second half went without a working clock, as the clock didn't start up until the 50th minute, stopped again at 52, and remained stopped until the final whistle, leaving fans and players alike in the dark about how much time was remaining, and adding to the tension of a playoff match.

In added time, the physicality intensified, with neither side easing up, leading to several awkward fouls and injured players. Still, despite the increasingly chippy play, neither team could break through.

Fort Worth kicked first in the penalty shootout, and through a combination of saves and misses from both teams, were level 3-3 after the first five rounds. Both teams made their sixth attempts but missed their seventh. Fort Worth's Rio Ramirez scored his team's eighth attempt so Denton needed to score just to force a ninth round. Borjas saved the attempt from Brandon Cerda to send the Vaqueros into the conference final.

Fort Worth now travels to Midland to take on the Midland-Odessa Sockers in the Lone Star Conference Championship on Saturday. Midland advanced with a dominant 9-1 win over Dallas City FC, delayed over 90 minutes due to lightning on Thursday.

Kickoff for the conference final is 7:15 p.m. at Grande Communications Stadium in Midland. The winner of the conference final will play the winner of Tulsa Athletic vs Joplin Demize for the South Region semifinals on July 16.