The A&M Consolidated boys soccer team dropped out of sole possession of first place in District 12-5A with a loss at Temple on Friday.

Bryan's girls lost at Killeen Ellison, hurting their chance for a favorable playoff seeding.

With the Crosstown Showdown in the headlights Tuesday, neither plans to look back. Well, maybe just a little.

The Tigers' 3-2 loss at Temple (16-3-1, 9-2-0) would hardly be considered a stunning upset, but it has dropped the Tigers into a tie for first with Belton at 10-1-0 in league play. Consol (13-8-0 overall) has already clinched a playoff spot.

Tigers coach Chris Kovacs is happy to see the Bryan Vikings coming to Tigerland Stadium. He believes his team will have no problems regaining its focus against its crosstown rival.

"I thought we played well in the loss [to Temple]," Kovacs said. "We scored first and early on the road in a tough place to play. We didn't play a lot of our game. Temple dictated their style of play to us."

Bryan (7-10-1, 6-5-0) plays a style similar to Consol's. The Tigers won the first meeting, 3-2.

"Hopefully, we get our groove back," Kovacs said. "There's more flow. We play possession soccer and that could be just what the doctor ordered."

Bryan and Harker Heights are tied for the final playoff position with three games remaining.

The Bryan girls' 4-0 loss to Ellison was surprising. The Lady Vikings (14-8-1, 6-5-0) were in position to challenge for third place in the district. They still control their own destiny for a playoff spot.

"They got the first goal by us, and then the second goal and we were shell-shocked," Bryan coach Amy Pettibone said. "It was just one of those things. We could not do anything right. I couldn't coach them out of it, and you get where you're just waiting for the clock to end and a new day."

In the teams' first meeting, Consol beat Bryan 1-0. The Lady Tigers are now 15-5-1 overall and 10-0-1 in 12-5A, tied for the district lead as they head to Merrill Green Stadium on Tuesday night.

"We played so hard for so long and it was unfortunate because when you work that hard, you think you'll be rewarded," Pettibone said of the first game against Consol. "I don't want to diminish what Consol did, because they played a great game and made the most of the opportunity they got."

Staying in contention with the Lady Tigers might have seemed like a moral victory.

"It was one of those game where I really thought we had a chance to tie it up," Pettibone said. "I'm an Aggie and I used a lot of Aggie adages. I didn't think we lost, but just ran out of time. We hit the crossbar and their goalkeeper made some amazing plays."

The first meeting might have been something of a breakthrough, but a win over the Lady Tigers would be a landmark moment for the Lady Vikes.

"That was my first Bryan-Consol game, but I have heard that for so long they never thought they belonged on the field with A&M Consolidated, even though they played club with those guys," Pettibone said. "Consol has been viewed as being better than Bryan."

Pettibone wants to be sure her team plays far better than it appeared against Ellison.

"It's not a failure if you learn from your mistakes," Pettibone said. "Dumb people and smart people both make mistakes. The smart people learn from theirs."

Bryan's Candace Ramsdell, who played well in the first Crosstown Showdown, is out after tearing an anterior cruciate ligament.

Consol and Belton have a big meeting at Tigerland Stadium to look forward to. That could be for the district championship if neither is tripped up in the two matches before their showdown. Fourth-place Bryan needs to hold off Ellison and Harker Heights, which are each 4-6-1 and tied for fifth.

"Fourth place gets you to the playoffs, and anything can happen in the playoffs," Pettibone said. "You've just got to get there."

CROSSTOWN SOCCER

* Tuesday's matches: Bryan boys (7-10-1, 6-5-0 District 12-5A) at A&M Consolidated (13-8-0, 10-1-0), 8 p.m.; Consol girls (15-5-1, 10-0-1) at Bryan (14-8-1, 6-5-0), 7 p.m.