The Sedona Red Rock High School boys soccer team’s 2016-17 season has come to an end.
The No. 8 seed Scorpions fell 9-0 to No. 9 seed Yuma Catholic High School in the first round of the Arizona Interscholastic Association State Championship’s Division 3A tournament on Feb. 3 at Red Mountain Park in Mesa.
The Shamrocks were no slouch either; they defeated No. 1 seed Arizona College Preparatory 3-1 in the quarterfinals the following day.
“They basically played the game we wanted to play, but they were much better than we were,” Red Rock co-coach Johan Lagercrantz said.
The Scorpions went down 2-0 in the early stages before the game evened out for a period, but eventually gave up six before halftime.
Lagercrantz said that Yuma Catholic was able to score from a variety of areas of the field and in different ways, while his team could not convert its opportunities.
While the scoreline reads like a blowout, he said that the game did not look the part.
“They were not outplaying us on the field all the time,” Lagercrantz said.
What he was most proud of was the fact that his players played hard until the final whistle.
About the overall season, Lagercrantz was happy that they accomplished their goal of making playoffs and being able to play the style that they decided on, despite the short amount of time they spent together.
For the future, they want to be able to play in both an offensive and defensive formation, depending on the flow of the game.
Of the 21 players on the roster, only four were seniors, and Lagercrantz is confident that the remaining 17 will return next season.
“It’s a step in the right direction for the Sedona Red Rock soccer team,” he said.
After two of the team’s Division 3A Region 1 games were cancelled due to inclement weather, they finished with a 2-1 record in league and 9-4 overall.