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Cowboys run deep but find shallow end
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| The Varsity soccer squad poses with the second-place trophy from state at Grand Canyon University Saturday. From left, back row, coach Jeff Stoddard, manager Jessica Mendez, Josh Wittig, Manuel Gaxiola, Danny Gracia, Cesar Rodarte, Skylar Stoddard, Dominick Renteria, Hector Castrejon, Jesus Gutierrez, Fredy Nunez, Jayro Alonso, Alexis Ubiarco and head coach Patrick Macumber. Front row, from left, Darien Strauch, Melody Motes, Elder Ochoa, Sammy Oscar, manager Mike Jones, Javier Martinez (with runner-up trophy), Omar Olivarria, Chris Flores, Billy Leitch, Jesus Moran, Sergio Martinez and manager Cole George. Missing from photo is Josue Aguirre. (Ainslee S. Wittig/ARN) |
By Steve Reno/Arizona Range News
Another dramatic victory in Friday's semi-final may have worn out the Willcox soccer varsity by the time they reached the title game the next night. Chino Valley defeated the Cowboys 2-0 for the championship on Saturday evening to deny the Cowboys their first state title.
"They were pretty upset," said head coach Patrick Macumber . "They were really hurt about not winning the championship because it was our goal all year long."
Willcox was pretty fortunate to get into the title game after slipping past Phoenix Country Day 2-1 on the strength of Elder Ochoa's dramatic winning goal in the 79th minute of the 80-minute contest on Friday. Ochoa scored earlier in the second half to erase a 1-0 deficit from the first half.
The Cowboys then held off Chino Valley for 55 minutes on Saturday but seemed to run out of gas after several early chances to grab a lead.
"We didn't get much offensive pressure on them in the second half and they wore us down," said the coach. Defenders Alexis Ubiarco and Dominic Renteria made several fine defensive plays to thwart the opponent while goalkeeper Javier Martinez made save after save.
Willcox was bidding to finish the season with a 19-game winning streak and the championship. They won the conference title on a goal in the final 17 seconds of a 4-3 decision, and followed with 3-1 overtime win against Show Low at state before edging Country Day with less than a minute to go in regulation.
Ochoa, a junior, had scored the last five goals for the team but couldn't find the magic in the final game. Chino found the net in the 56th and 67th minutes of Saturday's game to seal the deal for their second title in the past eight years.
"Once the emotions are gone from that final loss, I told the kids that they will be ecstatic about how far they got this year," said Macumber. "They'll be proud of their accomplishments, as I am."
Willcox will lose senior forward Sergio Martinez, an all-state tournament honoree. They will also miss midfielders Omar Olivarria and Josue Aguirre, as well as defender Fredy Nunez and goalkeeper Javier Martinez. Manuel Gaxiola also graduates. Four of the six were starters.
However, the Cowboys are primed to make another deep run into the tournament next year, as all-state tournament picks Ochoa and Ubiarco return, along with forward Sammy Oscar, who had an outstanding tournament, said the coach. Starting midfielders Josh Wittig and Hector Castrejon also return, as do starting defenders Dominick Renteria and Caesar Rodarte. Super-subs Skylar Stoddard and Jesus Gutierrez also have eligibility remaining.
"We'll take this setback and learn from it and make improvements next year," said the coach, "and hopefully get an opportunity again for another championship run."
Willcox finished 20-2, with a 17-1 regular season record and 9-1 league mark. The Cowboys are now in the State archives as a finalist for the first time.
"I told the seniors as they walked off the field, 'It's been a great year and you've had a great career (the Martinez' were 60-18 in four years), and not think of it as a bad ending, but a great season,'" said Macumber.
"It seems like we're getting better each year and we'll have to work hard next year to improve on what we did this season."
"They were pretty upset," said head coach Patrick Macumber . "They were really hurt about not winning the championship because it was our goal all year long."
Willcox was pretty fortunate to get into the title game after slipping past Phoenix Country Day 2-1 on the strength of Elder Ochoa's dramatic winning goal in the 79th minute of the 80-minute contest on Friday. Ochoa scored earlier in the second half to erase a 1-0 deficit from the first half.
The Cowboys then held off Chino Valley for 55 minutes on Saturday but seemed to run out of gas after several early chances to grab a lead.
"We didn't get much offensive pressure on them in the second half and they wore us down," said the coach. Defenders Alexis Ubiarco and Dominic Renteria made several fine defensive plays to thwart the opponent while goalkeeper Javier Martinez made save after save.
Willcox was bidding to finish the season with a 19-game winning streak and the championship. They won the conference title on a goal in the final 17 seconds of a 4-3 decision, and followed with 3-1 overtime win against Show Low at state before edging Country Day with less than a minute to go in regulation.
Ochoa, a junior, had scored the last five goals for the team but couldn't find the magic in the final game. Chino found the net in the 56th and 67th minutes of Saturday's game to seal the deal for their second title in the past eight years.
"Once the emotions are gone from that final loss, I told the kids that they will be ecstatic about how far they got this year," said Macumber. "They'll be proud of their accomplishments, as I am."
Willcox will lose senior forward Sergio Martinez, an all-state tournament honoree. They will also miss midfielders Omar Olivarria and Josue Aguirre, as well as defender Fredy Nunez and goalkeeper Javier Martinez. Manuel Gaxiola also graduates. Four of the six were starters.
However, the Cowboys are primed to make another deep run into the tournament next year, as all-state tournament picks Ochoa and Ubiarco return, along with forward Sammy Oscar, who had an outstanding tournament, said the coach. Starting midfielders Josh Wittig and Hector Castrejon also return, as do starting defenders Dominick Renteria and Caesar Rodarte. Super-subs Skylar Stoddard and Jesus Gutierrez also have eligibility remaining.
"We'll take this setback and learn from it and make improvements next year," said the coach, "and hopefully get an opportunity again for another championship run."
Willcox finished 20-2, with a 17-1 regular season record and 9-1 league mark. The Cowboys are now in the State archives as a finalist for the first time.
"I told the seniors as they walked off the field, 'It's been a great year and you've had a great career (the Martinez' were 60-18 in four years), and not think of it as a bad ending, but a great season,'" said Macumber.
"It seems like we're getting better each year and we'll have to work hard next year to improve on what we did this season."
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| Jones a medalist at state meet |
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