After three rough losses in a row, Sedona Red Rock High School’s boys soccer team hosted North Phoenix Prep on Thursday, Jan. 16 and tried to get itself going in the right direction. When the game was over, the Scorpions did just that.
Sedona got goals from a pair of sophomores, Adolfo Vazquez and Jorge Milan, to build a 2-0 lead. The Gladiators got a goal in the second half, but it came far too late to make a dent on the outcome of the game and Sedona came away with a 2-1 victory.
“I think the team really did great,” SRRHS sophomore Kevin Castaneda said. “We opened up the field a little bit more. We went more for the through ball strategy. And I think that worked a lot better than all of the other strategies.”
The two teams went scoreless for the opening 21 minutes of the game. But with 18:49 left in the first half, the scoreless tie was broken by Vazquez.
The Scorpions got some much needed insurance with just over two minutes remaining before halftime. Castaneda got on a run down the field and sent the ball over to a wide open Milan, who beat the North Phoenix Prep goalkeeper for what proved to be the winning goal.
“It was a team effort goal,” Milan said. “I wouldn’t have scored it without Kevin.”
The Sedona defense stood strong for the remainder of the game, generally limiting the Gladiators’ chances. A late goal on a beautiful shot from Isabelle Herrera did prevent Sedona from earning the shutout. But since it came with fewer than 20 seconds left on the clock, North Phoenix Prep never got itself in position to score a potential equalizer.
The victory was particularly significant for the SRRHS team. The Scorpions recorded their first win on Jan. 6 but struggled since, losing the subsequent three games 6-0, 9-0 and 7-0. Despite the losses, coach Sam Blom noted that the team kept a positive attitude throughout.
“They’re amazing — you’d never know that we lost,” he said. “We’re singing in the bus and the kids have a really good attitude. Plus we never gave up. Even when we’re losing 6-0, they never gave up. Nobody says, ‘Oh, I don’t want to go in anymore.’ They just keep playing their hardest. It’s like we’re still in the game, which I think is a testament to the team.”
“It’s nice to win at home,” Blom added. “The girls team was here to cheer us on. That helped. I’m happy for the kids. They worked so hard in practice.”
The win moved the Scorpions to 2-6 overall and 1-2 in the 3A Metro North Section. Next up for SRRHS is a home game against Scottsdale Prep on Wednesday, Jan. 22 at 6 p.m. Sedona will then go on the road for a 6 p.m. game at Glendale Prep on Thursday, Jan. 30. Sedona will be at home for the final two games of the regular season. The first will be against Phoenix Country Day Saturday, Feb. 1 at 2 p.m. After that, the Scorpions will host Tonopah Valley on Tuesday, Feb. 4 for the regular season finale.
