Junior Rene Diaz’s second-half goal was not enough for the Sedona Red Rock High School boys soccer team to overcome an early deficit or improve on its only tie of the season in a 2-1 home loss to Joy Christian High School on Tuesday, Jan. 7.

Although the Scorpions had a sizeable advantage in shots on goal — particularly in a second half that saw SRRHS keep the ball in the JCHS zone most of the 40 minutes — it was the Eagles who had the closer shots on goal and who ultimately made more of their chances.

Less than three minutes had elapsed in the contest when JCHS sophomore Austin Booker made a free kick into the top left corner of the net. The Scorpions tested sophomore Eagles goalkeeper Ramon Santos for the next five minutes afterward, but he easily scooped up point blank attempts by junior Chris Gibson and sophomore Jerson Mendoza.

A failed Diaz corner kick halfway through the first half was followed up by the game-winning goal — again too far into the left corner of the net for sophomore goalkeeper Daniel Ruiz to reach. JCHS junior Brian Boddicker got credit for
the score at just under 19 minutes to play.

“It was really hard for the players to have this kind of intensity after two weeks off, their second day back,” said Cindy Hauserman, head boys soccer coach for the Scorpions. “We had a lot of chances tonight — a lot of chances.”

For the full story, please see the Friday, Jan. 10, issue of the Sedona Red Rock News.