Plant's first boys region playoff victory since 2003 likely couldn't have come in more dramatic fashion.
The Panthers scored on what was probably their final attack of the game to equalize on a header by John Fernandez before Danny Johnson scored in the 97th minute to give his side a 2-1 victory against Countryside on Thursday night, setting off crazy scene's at Dad's Stadium, writes the St. Petersburg Times' Eduardo A. Encina.
Plant has had a remarkable second season under Coach Chris Carbon, but this victory is, at least on paper, its most impressive to date. Now the Panthers will hit the road to take on a Palm Harbor side that only advanced past Bloomingdale 1-0 in a penalty shootout.
While losing in a shootout is always disappointing, Bloomingdale looks like a team on the rise. The Bulls only lose five seniors from this year's team should the rest of the roster return, and will have the highly talented Tevin Gage returning for his senior season.
Speaking of penalty shootouts, Gaither managed to squeak through against Port Charlotte after goalkeeper John Nardozzi made a save in the first round of sudden-death for a 2-1 victory, David Briggs having scored on the prior kick for what proved to be the game-winner.
The Cowboys will now get a district final rematch with Sickles, which cruised to victory against Punta Gorda Charlotte 3-0. As the Times' John C. Cotey writes, the Gryphons throw-ins, provided predominantly by Ben Wiley on Thursday thanks to Tyler Deming's absence, were crucial to their advancement to the region semifinals for the first time in school history.
There will also be rematches in the other two local 5A semifinals as Newsome routed Brooksville Central 7-1 behind Steven Gonzalez's hat trick, and Plant City edged out Ocala Forest 2-1, although someone should probably mention that the Raiders first loss came in the Wharton Invitational to Hillsborough.
East Lake and Seminole will also face off again, both sides easing through to the region semifinals as the Eagles defeated Pinellas Park 5-0 and the Warhawks blasted Northeast 7-1.
In Class 4A, the "unofficial Pasco County Championship" game, so dubbed by Mitchell coach Oscar Ubillus, is on for Tuesday night as the Mustangs will face Land O' Lakes for a place in the region final. Mitchell defeated Wiregrass Ranch 5-1 on Thursday night, while the Gators defeated Wesley Chapel 3-0.
Jesuit also moved on, but had to survive a late rally by Lakewood Ranch to hold on for a 3-2 victory. The Tigers will need to be better against a Palmetto team that romped past Steinbrenner 5-0 in Tuesday's region semifinal.
Berkeley Prep and Clearwater Central Catholic will face off again for a place in the Class 3A-Region 3 final, the Buccaneers cruising to a 5-0 victory against Frostproof, while the Marauders got two late first half goals to advance past Mulberry 2-0.
Tampa Prep will also face a rematch against Indian Rocks Christian after Anthony Baumann (four assists) and Wes Sever (four goals) allowed the Terrapins to cruise past Bradenton St. Stephen's 6-0. IRC advanced with a 3-0 victory against Out-of-Door Academy thanks to Cody Sitton's hat trick, but Seffner Christian's run came to an end with a 4-0 defeat at Florida Air.
Showing posts with label Jesuit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jesuit. Show all posts
Friday, February 5, 2010
Monday, February 1, 2010
Preps: Sickles retains top spot in final Hillsborough Poll
Sickles retained the top spot in the final Hillsborough Boys Coaches Poll of the season after its penalty shootout victory in the Class 5A-District 9 final against No.3 Gaither on Friday night.
The Gryphons will face Punta Gorda Charlotte on Thursday in the region quarterfinals of the Class 5A state tournament, and could face a rematch with the Cowboys in the semifinals should Gaither defeat Port Charlotte.
Jumping up five places to No.2 was Jesuit, the Class 4A-9 champions, while 5A-8 champions Newsome and 2A-9 champions Tampa Prep rounded out the top five.
Plant City dropped from the No.2 slot to No.6 after its loss to Newsome in the 5A-8 final, while Berkeley Prep re-entered the poll at No.7 and 6A-8 champion Plant earned the No.8 spot.
The full poll can be found below.
1. Sickles (21-1-3)
2. Jesuit (17-4-3)
3. Gaither (15-4-1)
4. Newsome (15-4-3)
5. Tampa Prep (14-4-2)
6. Plant City (13-2-2)
7. Berkeley Prep (10-8-3)
8. Plant (10-7-1)
9. Tampa Catholic (11-3-5)
10. East Bay (13-3-1)
The Gryphons will face Punta Gorda Charlotte on Thursday in the region quarterfinals of the Class 5A state tournament, and could face a rematch with the Cowboys in the semifinals should Gaither defeat Port Charlotte.
Jumping up five places to No.2 was Jesuit, the Class 4A-9 champions, while 5A-8 champions Newsome and 2A-9 champions Tampa Prep rounded out the top five.
Plant City dropped from the No.2 slot to No.6 after its loss to Newsome in the 5A-8 final, while Berkeley Prep re-entered the poll at No.7 and 6A-8 champion Plant earned the No.8 spot.
The full poll can be found below.
1. Sickles (21-1-3)
2. Jesuit (17-4-3)
3. Gaither (15-4-1)
4. Newsome (15-4-3)
5. Tampa Prep (14-4-2)
6. Plant City (13-2-2)
7. Berkeley Prep (10-8-3)
8. Plant (10-7-1)
9. Tampa Catholic (11-3-5)
10. East Bay (13-3-1)
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Gathman leads Tigers past Roehn-less Buccaneers
TAMPA – Jesuit got a pair of first half goals from Stephen Gathman, and then held off a strong rally in the final 15 minutes, to defeat a Berkeley Prep side missing star striker T.J. Roehn 4-2 in both side’s regular season finale on Saturday evening at Newman Stadium.
Roehn was ejected for using a profanity in Berkeley’s game Wednesday night against Lakeland Jenkins, and is appealing the three-week suspension issued, but he saw his teammates start strongly on Senior Day as they pressed for an early goal. The Tigers (14-4-3) were able to weather the storm, though, and took the lead in the 13th minute as Gathman latched onto a through-ball and fired low into the right corner.
Gathman then struck again in the 26th minute, a defensive clearance by Berkeley being headed back forward by Jesuit’s Tyler Hartlage to Gathman, who controlled his shot well after it bobbled just as he drove it into the right corner.
Berkeley (9-8-3) had its chances to score in the first half, with Auston Chen shooting over the crossbar after being put through by Jordan Tannenbaum. Tannenbaum also had a good opportunity, but a nasty bounce as he was trying to shoot caused his effort to slice wide. Kevin Harvey also saw a header go over the crossbar after a good cross by Tannenbaum.
Those missed opportunities would hurt even more a minute before halftime as Joel Gutierrez stole in at the near post to flick home Joseph Metzger’s corner to make it 3-0 at the break.
“I thought the third goal was critical, because a 2-0 lead is always a dangerous lead,” Jesuit coach Bob Bauman said. “We has pretty much subbed all of our starters out by then, so for the last 15 minutes of the first half was bench, and we’ve been able to go to our bench this year and maintain a high level of play.”
Alex Moore added a fourth for the Tigers with 14 minutes to go, but then the Bucs rallied behind Theo Wells, who headed home from a Jake Felman corner in the 69th minute before scoring on a deflected shot a minute later.
Felman had a chance at a hat trick, but his shot with six minutes to go was brilliantly saved by Seth Drummond, who dove low to his left to turn the shot aside, allowing the Tigers to hold on. Wells said while getting his third, and setting up a big end to the game, would have been nice, the fact that the Bucs had rallied back without Roehn left the team feeling optimistic about its chances without their star.
“If we walked out of here with a 4-0 loss, it would have been hard,” Wells said. “I’m glad that without T.J. we got two goals, we rallied at the end, we got some momentum going into districts.”
Roehn would be eligible to return for the Class 3A-Region 3 final should his appeal be turned down, with the possibility he could be available for the region quarterfinals if it is reduced by a week. Berkeley coach Tim Cooper said he thought his side would miss Roehn, and would need other players to step up in his stead.
“It’s obviously a tough loss for us, not having T.J., he’s been 90, 95 percent of our offense,” Cooper said. “The guys know they’re going to have to step it up, and that’s what it’s going to come down to.”
Roehn was ejected for using a profanity in Berkeley’s game Wednesday night against Lakeland Jenkins, and is appealing the three-week suspension issued, but he saw his teammates start strongly on Senior Day as they pressed for an early goal. The Tigers (14-4-3) were able to weather the storm, though, and took the lead in the 13th minute as Gathman latched onto a through-ball and fired low into the right corner.
Gathman then struck again in the 26th minute, a defensive clearance by Berkeley being headed back forward by Jesuit’s Tyler Hartlage to Gathman, who controlled his shot well after it bobbled just as he drove it into the right corner.
Berkeley (9-8-3) had its chances to score in the first half, with Auston Chen shooting over the crossbar after being put through by Jordan Tannenbaum. Tannenbaum also had a good opportunity, but a nasty bounce as he was trying to shoot caused his effort to slice wide. Kevin Harvey also saw a header go over the crossbar after a good cross by Tannenbaum.
Those missed opportunities would hurt even more a minute before halftime as Joel Gutierrez stole in at the near post to flick home Joseph Metzger’s corner to make it 3-0 at the break.
“I thought the third goal was critical, because a 2-0 lead is always a dangerous lead,” Jesuit coach Bob Bauman said. “We has pretty much subbed all of our starters out by then, so for the last 15 minutes of the first half was bench, and we’ve been able to go to our bench this year and maintain a high level of play.”
Alex Moore added a fourth for the Tigers with 14 minutes to go, but then the Bucs rallied behind Theo Wells, who headed home from a Jake Felman corner in the 69th minute before scoring on a deflected shot a minute later.
Felman had a chance at a hat trick, but his shot with six minutes to go was brilliantly saved by Seth Drummond, who dove low to his left to turn the shot aside, allowing the Tigers to hold on. Wells said while getting his third, and setting up a big end to the game, would have been nice, the fact that the Bucs had rallied back without Roehn left the team feeling optimistic about its chances without their star.
“If we walked out of here with a 4-0 loss, it would have been hard,” Wells said. “I’m glad that without T.J. we got two goals, we rallied at the end, we got some momentum going into districts.”
Roehn would be eligible to return for the Class 3A-Region 3 final should his appeal be turned down, with the possibility he could be available for the region quarterfinals if it is reduced by a week. Berkeley coach Tim Cooper said he thought his side would miss Roehn, and would need other players to step up in his stead.
“It’s obviously a tough loss for us, not having T.J., he’s been 90, 95 percent of our offense,” Cooper said. “The guys know they’re going to have to step it up, and that’s what it’s going to come down to.”
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Preps: Big Prep Saturday highlighted by Land O' Lakes late winner
If you checked the TBO.com prep page this morning, you'll have noticed that Saturday was a really big day for local prep soccer. Two excellent private school games, and the start of the Wharton Invitational made for a very busy, but fascinating day.
First up, Land O' Lakes' Zach Higgins grabbed the Gators a late victory against Plant in a highly entertaining contest.
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2010/jan/17/sp-higgins-late-goal-lifts-land-o-lakes/sports-prepsports/
Plant was good, but as Coach Chris Carbon noted, the Panthers' inability to put away chances is something they have to work on if they are to first win Class 6A-8 and then make some inroads in the region tournament. With Countryside and Palm Harbor appearing the favorites to advance from 6A-7, the Panthers will have their hands full from the region quarterfinals on should they advance that far.
On the other hand, if Land O' Lakes is on its game, they are a match for anyone. If they advance from Pool C in this tournament, and I think they should with games remaining against King and Bloomingdale, the semifinal match-up against Sickles or Newsome could a a tremendous one for the neutral fan.
As for the district/region playoffs, Land O' Lakes quarterfinal against whichever side comes out of Class 5A-8, which could be anyone from Plant City, Newsome, East Bay or Durant, could be one of the best local games of the season.
Up next, Bob Bauman's 500th victory for Jesuit.
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2010/jan/17/boys-soccer-jesuits-bauman-earns-milestone-victory/sports-prepsports/
This is the Jesuit that needs to show up for the rest of the season. If that happens, they are a legitimate threat to win a state title in Class 4A. The question is if the side can maintain the focus. A Bauman himself noted, sometimes the Tigers make things more difficult than they should for themselves. Treat every opponent as they did CCC yesterday, and the Tigers should be at the University of Tampa.
Last, Tampa Catholic's stunning victory against Tampa Prep.
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2010/jan/17/boys-soccer-crusaders-surge-past-tampa-prep/sports-prepsports/
The difference between TC's Andrew Buckley before he scored and after was amazing. The moment he fired the Crusaders into the lead, you could see the weight lift off his shoulders, indicated further by his second goal two minutes later. If they face Berkeley in the Class 3A-10 final two weeks from now, that is going to be a must-see.
As for the Terrapins, don't dismiss them yet. Yes, there are issues with Tampa Prep right now, and the lack of goals is a big concern, but I believe that with the way the side is working right now, it is going to come for them. You get the impression that when the playoffs start, Anthony Baumann is going to put this team on his shoulders and will them to victory, and when he raises his game, which is already at a very high level, Wes Sever and Aaron Burrell are going to feast.
First up, Land O' Lakes' Zach Higgins grabbed the Gators a late victory against Plant in a highly entertaining contest.
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2010/jan/17/sp-higgins-late-goal-lifts-land-o-lakes/sports-prepsports/
Plant was good, but as Coach Chris Carbon noted, the Panthers' inability to put away chances is something they have to work on if they are to first win Class 6A-8 and then make some inroads in the region tournament. With Countryside and Palm Harbor appearing the favorites to advance from 6A-7, the Panthers will have their hands full from the region quarterfinals on should they advance that far.
On the other hand, if Land O' Lakes is on its game, they are a match for anyone. If they advance from Pool C in this tournament, and I think they should with games remaining against King and Bloomingdale, the semifinal match-up against Sickles or Newsome could a a tremendous one for the neutral fan.
As for the district/region playoffs, Land O' Lakes quarterfinal against whichever side comes out of Class 5A-8, which could be anyone from Plant City, Newsome, East Bay or Durant, could be one of the best local games of the season.
Up next, Bob Bauman's 500th victory for Jesuit.
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2010/jan/17/boys-soccer-jesuits-bauman-earns-milestone-victory/sports-prepsports/
This is the Jesuit that needs to show up for the rest of the season. If that happens, they are a legitimate threat to win a state title in Class 4A. The question is if the side can maintain the focus. A Bauman himself noted, sometimes the Tigers make things more difficult than they should for themselves. Treat every opponent as they did CCC yesterday, and the Tigers should be at the University of Tampa.
Last, Tampa Catholic's stunning victory against Tampa Prep.
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2010/jan/17/boys-soccer-crusaders-surge-past-tampa-prep/sports-prepsports/
The difference between TC's Andrew Buckley before he scored and after was amazing. The moment he fired the Crusaders into the lead, you could see the weight lift off his shoulders, indicated further by his second goal two minutes later. If they face Berkeley in the Class 3A-10 final two weeks from now, that is going to be a must-see.
As for the Terrapins, don't dismiss them yet. Yes, there are issues with Tampa Prep right now, and the lack of goals is a big concern, but I believe that with the way the side is working right now, it is going to come for them. You get the impression that when the playoffs start, Anthony Baumann is going to put this team on his shoulders and will them to victory, and when he raises his game, which is already at a very high level, Wes Sever and Aaron Burrell are going to feast.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Preps: Ortiz, Steinbrenner stun Jesuit, earn No.1 seed
LUTZ – Steinbrenner boys soccer coach Chad Ebright was expecting his side’s game against Jesuit to be a measuring stick as to where his side was in its first season.
After the opening minute, the Warriors weren’t measuring up well, going behind to a goal by the Tigers’ Michael Cadavid.
“I’m thinking that the wheels can come off the cart very easily,” Ebright said of the start to the game.
But while the Tigers continued to press forward, the Warriors held strong defensively and a pair of goals by freshman Oli Ortiz, his second coming with eight minutes to go, gave Steinbrenner a 2-1 victory and the No.1 seed for the Class 4A-District 9 tournament.
Gaining confidence as the second half went on, Ortiz picked up a pass down the right from Logan Siben 40 yards out, and attacked his defender one-on-one. Ortiz then feinted to go left before cutting onto his right foot and curling a beautiful shot into the net from 20 yards out for his ninth of the season.
“My dad taught me that,” Ortiz said. “Make him go (left), then cutting him back and taking a shot.”
Ortiz produced just as good a finish in the 13th minute to get the Warriors back on even terms, running onto a pass from Philip Jorge before chipping his shot over the advancing goalkeeper into the vacant net.
Jesuit almost retook the lead a minute later, but the Warriors were able to clear the ball to safety after a scramble in their penalty area. Tiger midfielder Stephen Gathman then went close, his flicked header going just wide off a corner, and Brett Durrance saw his deflected shot go just wide as the Tigers had the better of the play in the first half.
That didn’t prevent the Warriors from carving out chances of their own, though, and Davi Martins had his shot well saved after he controlled a header by Ortiz in the penalty area before weaving past a pair of defenders to create an opening.
The Tigers then missed a pair of golden opportunities to take the lead, one coming either side of halftime. Six minutes before the break a low cross from the left was spooned over the crossbar by Chris Conlon from close-range, and then two minutes into the second half Tyler Hartlage shot high from eight yards out with the goal at his mercy after an excellent low cross by Durrance. Jesuit coach Bob Bauman was disappointed with the lack of finishing and with the effort from his side.
“I think the biggest thing was that we didn’t show up,” Bauman said. “We scored a goal and we let up and we never got back in the game. Once they scored, it got their confidence up and we missed our chances early in the second half and they took their chance late in the second half. You’ve got to hand it to them, they were two terrific goals, two stunning goals, but they came from mistakes we made.”
As disappointed as the Tigers were, the Warriors were elated, the entire bench rushing onto the field at the final whistle to celebrate completing a perfect 8-0-0 run through their district schedule. Ebright said getting the No.1 seed for the district tournament was an important step, as it should provide an easier path to a district title, and the region tournament.
“Our goal at the beginning of the season was to become the No.1 seed in the district, that was our early goal,” Ebright said. “I’m proud of the boys, I’m proud of the way we played, and we came out here to do a job, and that’s what we did. We say it every day in practice, we’re here to do a job, and that’s what we got done tonight. We came out here against a very talented team, and we played very well.”
After the opening minute, the Warriors weren’t measuring up well, going behind to a goal by the Tigers’ Michael Cadavid.
“I’m thinking that the wheels can come off the cart very easily,” Ebright said of the start to the game.
But while the Tigers continued to press forward, the Warriors held strong defensively and a pair of goals by freshman Oli Ortiz, his second coming with eight minutes to go, gave Steinbrenner a 2-1 victory and the No.1 seed for the Class 4A-District 9 tournament.
Gaining confidence as the second half went on, Ortiz picked up a pass down the right from Logan Siben 40 yards out, and attacked his defender one-on-one. Ortiz then feinted to go left before cutting onto his right foot and curling a beautiful shot into the net from 20 yards out for his ninth of the season.
“My dad taught me that,” Ortiz said. “Make him go (left), then cutting him back and taking a shot.”
Ortiz produced just as good a finish in the 13th minute to get the Warriors back on even terms, running onto a pass from Philip Jorge before chipping his shot over the advancing goalkeeper into the vacant net.
Jesuit almost retook the lead a minute later, but the Warriors were able to clear the ball to safety after a scramble in their penalty area. Tiger midfielder Stephen Gathman then went close, his flicked header going just wide off a corner, and Brett Durrance saw his deflected shot go just wide as the Tigers had the better of the play in the first half.
That didn’t prevent the Warriors from carving out chances of their own, though, and Davi Martins had his shot well saved after he controlled a header by Ortiz in the penalty area before weaving past a pair of defenders to create an opening.
The Tigers then missed a pair of golden opportunities to take the lead, one coming either side of halftime. Six minutes before the break a low cross from the left was spooned over the crossbar by Chris Conlon from close-range, and then two minutes into the second half Tyler Hartlage shot high from eight yards out with the goal at his mercy after an excellent low cross by Durrance. Jesuit coach Bob Bauman was disappointed with the lack of finishing and with the effort from his side.
“I think the biggest thing was that we didn’t show up,” Bauman said. “We scored a goal and we let up and we never got back in the game. Once they scored, it got their confidence up and we missed our chances early in the second half and they took their chance late in the second half. You’ve got to hand it to them, they were two terrific goals, two stunning goals, but they came from mistakes we made.”
As disappointed as the Tigers were, the Warriors were elated, the entire bench rushing onto the field at the final whistle to celebrate completing a perfect 8-0-0 run through their district schedule. Ebright said getting the No.1 seed for the district tournament was an important step, as it should provide an easier path to a district title, and the region tournament.
“Our goal at the beginning of the season was to become the No.1 seed in the district, that was our early goal,” Ebright said. “I’m proud of the boys, I’m proud of the way we played, and we came out here to do a job, and that’s what we did. We say it every day in practice, we’re here to do a job, and that’s what we got done tonight. We came out here against a very talented team, and we played very well.”
Preps: Steinbrenner to get to mark progress against Jesuit
Steinbrenner High’s boys coach Chad Ebright didn’t know exactly what he should expect from his side when it began its inaugural season.
Tonight, though, the Warriors have a chance to see how far they’ve come as they face perennial power Jesuit with the No.1 seed in Class 4A-District 9 at stake. Steinbrenner can earn the No.1 seed with just a draw, but a win against the most storied program in Hillsborough County would certainly make a statement for the program.
“Our goal is to get our program mentioned with the top teams in the county,” Ebright said “The only way we can do that is to play the top teams in the county.”
The Warriors have played a limited schedule this season, with the bulk of their games coming against weak district opposition. The Warriors also lost 5-2 to Alonso, and drew with Freedom 2-2 in what where the two big non-district tests of the season, with a 2-0 win against Robinson in their last game before the holiday break putting them in position to earn the No.1 district seed.
Jesuit tied Robinson 2-2 earlier in the season, leaving it behind Steinbrenner in the 4A-9 standings, doing everything by find a game-winner in the second half of the contest. The Tigers now appear to be back to their regular form, the only loss since a 4-3 defeat to Tampa Prep on Nov.18 coming against ESPN Rise No.4 New Orleans Jesuit in the High School Classic.
As intimidating as Jesuit can be, Ebright believes the most important thing for his players to realize before the game is that they aren’t playing the Tigers’ history.
“My job is to make sure the boys realize we’re not playing the history of Jesuit, we’re playing the 2009-10 team only,” Ebright said. “We need to step onto the field understanding that that’s who we’re playing against, we’re not playing against their history. As far as the play on the field goes, we need to do the best job we can to control the pace of the game, and hopefully get Jesuit to play our game and not vice-versa.”
Tonight, though, the Warriors have a chance to see how far they’ve come as they face perennial power Jesuit with the No.1 seed in Class 4A-District 9 at stake. Steinbrenner can earn the No.1 seed with just a draw, but a win against the most storied program in Hillsborough County would certainly make a statement for the program.
“Our goal is to get our program mentioned with the top teams in the county,” Ebright said “The only way we can do that is to play the top teams in the county.”
The Warriors have played a limited schedule this season, with the bulk of their games coming against weak district opposition. The Warriors also lost 5-2 to Alonso, and drew with Freedom 2-2 in what where the two big non-district tests of the season, with a 2-0 win against Robinson in their last game before the holiday break putting them in position to earn the No.1 district seed.
Jesuit tied Robinson 2-2 earlier in the season, leaving it behind Steinbrenner in the 4A-9 standings, doing everything by find a game-winner in the second half of the contest. The Tigers now appear to be back to their regular form, the only loss since a 4-3 defeat to Tampa Prep on Nov.18 coming against ESPN Rise No.4 New Orleans Jesuit in the High School Classic.
As intimidating as Jesuit can be, Ebright believes the most important thing for his players to realize before the game is that they aren’t playing the Tigers’ history.
“My job is to make sure the boys realize we’re not playing the history of Jesuit, we’re playing the 2009-10 team only,” Ebright said. “We need to step onto the field understanding that that’s who we’re playing against, we’re not playing against their history. As far as the play on the field goes, we need to do the best job we can to control the pace of the game, and hopefully get Jesuit to play our game and not vice-versa.”
Monday, December 21, 2009
Preps: Countryside takes advantage of opportunity, will face Palm Harbor in Classic quarterfinals
TAMPA – After seeing Orangewood Christian grab victory late on Saturday afternoon, the potential for Countryside to reach the knock-out stages of the High School Soccer Classic appeared dim.
But a 3-1 win by Gulf Breeze against Orangewood opened the door for the Cougars, and a pair of second half strikes by Max Seijo allowed them to walk right through, a 3-1 win moving Countryside into the tournament quarterfinals on goal difference and a game against Palm Harbor on Tuesday at noon.
“The guys fought really hard,” assistant coach Colby Beckman said. Beckman and the remaining Countryside assistants were present in place of head coach Dave Sica, who was ejected from Friday night’s regular season game against East Lake. “Max has been a great player. Up top, he holds the ball up very well, and some of the finishing has been where he has struggled lately, but he showed the type of player he is today.”
The Cougars, who entered the game knowing they needed a two-goal victory to advance, got off to a great start as a counter-attack from a Gulf Breeze corner was finished off by Nino Hadzialic. The Cougars then added a second goal through Seijo, who finished well from inside the penalty area.
Gulf Breeze then pushed forward, knowing just a goal would send it through, and not Countryside, and the Dolphins got their goal shortly after the second half water break. But Seijo added his second with seven minutes to go, finishing a cross by Derya Ekren well to restore the two-goal lead the Cougars needed.
The Cougars will face Pinellas rival Palm Harbor in the quarterfinals, the Hurricanes getting goals from Robby Mattei and Ben Sweat to defeat Clearwater Central Catholic 2-0. Beckman said he was looking forward to taking on a local rival for a place in the semifinals.
“Palm Harbor is nothing new to us,” Beckman said. “We always get up to play those guys, they’ve been a rival since I played here in the early 2000’s. Their coach Alex Delgado is a great friend, and we always enjoy playing Palm Harbor.”
Land O’ Lakes joined the Cougars and Hurricanes in the quarterfinals with an impressive 5-0 victory against Sarasota. Tim Falcon, Nate Dalton, Justin Lyles, Andy Garcia and Evan Reidy all got their names on the scoresheet for the Gators, who will play Orlando Bishop Moore in the quarterfinals.
“We got a lot of people in, got some people some extra playing time and got some rest for the starters,” Gators coach Mark Pearson said. “It was a good team win, we didn’t let down at all, did very well, I was very pleased.”
Orlando Bishop Moore advanced at the expense of Tampa Prep, handing the Terrapins their first loss of the season as goals by Connor Keymont and Claude Daigler gave the Hornets victory. Zack Hebert pulled a goal back with around 20 minutes to go for the Terrapins, but while Jake Peterson and Twain Glaser hit the woodwork late in the first and second half respectively, Terps coach Doug Smith thought the Hornets deserved their win.
“It’s tough to play two games in one day, but we got outworked, particularly in the first half,” Smith said. “We were getting beaten to every ball, every second ball, we were losing all the tackles, and frankly that set the tone for the game. Our effort in the second half was good, and we did do a better job, but it was almost too late by that time to remedy some of the stuff that had happened in the first half.”
Tampa Prep had earlier defeated Gaither in a shootout to eliminate the Cowboys after a goal by Travis Simmons in the 74th minute had given the Terrapins a 2-2 tie in regulation. A victory against the Hornets would have sent the Terps through, but they were unable to find a way to win.
Mitchell came close to joining Pasco county counterpart Land O’ Lakes in the quarterfinals, but lost an early two-goal lead before falling in a penalty shootout to Orlando Dr. Phillips 5-3 after the game ended in a 2-2 tie. With both the Mustangs and Panthers having defeated Jacksonville Stanton Prep, the two teams entered the game tied with three points apiece.
David Vasquez and Max Rockwell had goals within the first six minutes for the Mustangs, but the Panthers rallied through Shawn Moffitt and Devin Boshears to send the game to a shootout. Mustangs coach Oscar Ubillus said he thought his side let down after gaining such a quick two-goal lead.
“Definitely there was,” Ubillus said. “I told them at halftime that might have been the worst thing that could have happened because then they were forced to come out. They got that first goal,not really earned because out ‘keeper made a mistake, and then beat us on a run for the second goal, but they really outplayed us for the rest of the first half.”
Jesuit was eliminated before it took the field on Monday night, New Orleans Jesuit having already won the group with a shootout win against Fort Myers Bishop Verot, but the Tigers did defeat Verot’s shutout streak, earning a 2-0 win in the process. Berkeley Prep had a chance to advance, but dropped an early lead against Melbourne to send the Bulldogs into the quarterfinals with a 2-1 win. The Buccaneers managed the same feat against Seminole, holding a 1-0 lead at the break before falling 2-1.
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But a 3-1 win by Gulf Breeze against Orangewood opened the door for the Cougars, and a pair of second half strikes by Max Seijo allowed them to walk right through, a 3-1 win moving Countryside into the tournament quarterfinals on goal difference and a game against Palm Harbor on Tuesday at noon.
“The guys fought really hard,” assistant coach Colby Beckman said. Beckman and the remaining Countryside assistants were present in place of head coach Dave Sica, who was ejected from Friday night’s regular season game against East Lake. “Max has been a great player. Up top, he holds the ball up very well, and some of the finishing has been where he has struggled lately, but he showed the type of player he is today.”
The Cougars, who entered the game knowing they needed a two-goal victory to advance, got off to a great start as a counter-attack from a Gulf Breeze corner was finished off by Nino Hadzialic. The Cougars then added a second goal through Seijo, who finished well from inside the penalty area.
Gulf Breeze then pushed forward, knowing just a goal would send it through, and not Countryside, and the Dolphins got their goal shortly after the second half water break. But Seijo added his second with seven minutes to go, finishing a cross by Derya Ekren well to restore the two-goal lead the Cougars needed.
The Cougars will face Pinellas rival Palm Harbor in the quarterfinals, the Hurricanes getting goals from Robby Mattei and Ben Sweat to defeat Clearwater Central Catholic 2-0. Beckman said he was looking forward to taking on a local rival for a place in the semifinals.
“Palm Harbor is nothing new to us,” Beckman said. “We always get up to play those guys, they’ve been a rival since I played here in the early 2000’s. Their coach Alex Delgado is a great friend, and we always enjoy playing Palm Harbor.”
Land O’ Lakes joined the Cougars and Hurricanes in the quarterfinals with an impressive 5-0 victory against Sarasota. Tim Falcon, Nate Dalton, Justin Lyles, Andy Garcia and Evan Reidy all got their names on the scoresheet for the Gators, who will play Orlando Bishop Moore in the quarterfinals.
“We got a lot of people in, got some people some extra playing time and got some rest for the starters,” Gators coach Mark Pearson said. “It was a good team win, we didn’t let down at all, did very well, I was very pleased.”
Orlando Bishop Moore advanced at the expense of Tampa Prep, handing the Terrapins their first loss of the season as goals by Connor Keymont and Claude Daigler gave the Hornets victory. Zack Hebert pulled a goal back with around 20 minutes to go for the Terrapins, but while Jake Peterson and Twain Glaser hit the woodwork late in the first and second half respectively, Terps coach Doug Smith thought the Hornets deserved their win.
“It’s tough to play two games in one day, but we got outworked, particularly in the first half,” Smith said. “We were getting beaten to every ball, every second ball, we were losing all the tackles, and frankly that set the tone for the game. Our effort in the second half was good, and we did do a better job, but it was almost too late by that time to remedy some of the stuff that had happened in the first half.”
Tampa Prep had earlier defeated Gaither in a shootout to eliminate the Cowboys after a goal by Travis Simmons in the 74th minute had given the Terrapins a 2-2 tie in regulation. A victory against the Hornets would have sent the Terps through, but they were unable to find a way to win.
Mitchell came close to joining Pasco county counterpart Land O’ Lakes in the quarterfinals, but lost an early two-goal lead before falling in a penalty shootout to Orlando Dr. Phillips 5-3 after the game ended in a 2-2 tie. With both the Mustangs and Panthers having defeated Jacksonville Stanton Prep, the two teams entered the game tied with three points apiece.
David Vasquez and Max Rockwell had goals within the first six minutes for the Mustangs, but the Panthers rallied through Shawn Moffitt and Devin Boshears to send the game to a shootout. Mustangs coach Oscar Ubillus said he thought his side let down after gaining such a quick two-goal lead.
“Definitely there was,” Ubillus said. “I told them at halftime that might have been the worst thing that could have happened because then they were forced to come out. They got that first goal,not really earned because out ‘keeper made a mistake, and then beat us on a run for the second goal, but they really outplayed us for the rest of the first half.”
Jesuit was eliminated before it took the field on Monday night, New Orleans Jesuit having already won the group with a shootout win against Fort Myers Bishop Verot, but the Tigers did defeat Verot’s shutout streak, earning a 2-0 win in the process. Berkeley Prep had a chance to advance, but dropped an early lead against Melbourne to send the Bulldogs into the quarterfinals with a 2-1 win. The Buccaneers managed the same feat against Seminole, holding a 1-0 lead at the break before falling 2-1.
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Saturday, December 19, 2009
Preps: No.6 Blue Jays too much for Tigers
TAMPA – Jesuit twice held a lead against ESPN Rise No. 6 New Orleans Jesuit, but the Blue Jays scored three goals in the second half to rally for a 4-2 victory at the High School Soccer Classic at the Ed Radice Sports Complex on Saturday night.
The Blue Jays could have taken the lead in the first minute, when Patrick Culotta shot wide after a poor goal kick allowed him the chance at a goal. The Blue Jays squandered another pair of chances before the Tigers took the lead in the ninth minute, Chase Goodwin rising at the far post to head home Brett Durrance’s corner kick.
“When you think about it, they could have had, one, two, three in the first 10 minutes,” Tigers coach Bob Bauman said. “And we kind of weathered the storm, we come down and score.”
The Blue Jays, who won the ESPN Rise Winter national championship a season ago, continued to create chances, only to see them go begging. That changed in the 30th minute as a corner from the left was knocked down at the far post by Brandon Cohen, and Patrick Warwick stabbed a shot home from inside the 6-yard box.
The Tigers' energy remained high, though, and they continued to give as good as they took from the Blue Jays, and that was rewarded a minute before halftime. After a poor free kick from their half by the Blue Jays came straight to Tyler Hartlage, he fed a ball through to Durrance, who raced in alone on goal and finished coolly into the left corner of the net.
The Tigers’ lead didn’t last long into the second half as the Blue Jays tied the game off another corner four minutes into the second half, Alex Petrou scoring off a rebound from close in.
The Tigers could have retaken the lead shortly after Petrou’s equalizer, but saw Durrance’s free kick flick off the top of the defensive wall and go off the post, and a shot by Jordan Hayes turned around the left post by a good save.
The Blue Jays went ahead at the hour mark when Steven Cabos flicked a shot in with the outside of his right foot to make it 3-2. Cabos added his second with just under 10 minutes to go, but the wind had already been taken out of the Tigers’ sails.
New Orleans Jesuit coach Hubie Collins said he thought his side’s character was what made the difference.
“I think we just had to show our character in the second half, come out and show what we could do,” Collins said.
While he was disappointed his side hadn’t been able to pull off the upset, Bauman said he expected his side would learn from the game, and be better in their next outing.
“I think the biggest thing is we learned the difference between playing tentative and not to lose, compared to playing to win,” Bauman said. “We have some players who are bringing along their confidence level to play against a team of that caliber. So as we get these opportunities, which is a great opportunity like tonight, I think we’re going to learn from that and attempt to get better.
“I told this team from the first week on that the idea is we win our last game. That’s what matters to us. So if we get one percent better from tonight, we play another team at a higher level, then that’s a positive for us.”
The Blue Jays could have taken the lead in the first minute, when Patrick Culotta shot wide after a poor goal kick allowed him the chance at a goal. The Blue Jays squandered another pair of chances before the Tigers took the lead in the ninth minute, Chase Goodwin rising at the far post to head home Brett Durrance’s corner kick.
“When you think about it, they could have had, one, two, three in the first 10 minutes,” Tigers coach Bob Bauman said. “And we kind of weathered the storm, we come down and score.”
The Blue Jays, who won the ESPN Rise Winter national championship a season ago, continued to create chances, only to see them go begging. That changed in the 30th minute as a corner from the left was knocked down at the far post by Brandon Cohen, and Patrick Warwick stabbed a shot home from inside the 6-yard box.
The Tigers' energy remained high, though, and they continued to give as good as they took from the Blue Jays, and that was rewarded a minute before halftime. After a poor free kick from their half by the Blue Jays came straight to Tyler Hartlage, he fed a ball through to Durrance, who raced in alone on goal and finished coolly into the left corner of the net.
The Tigers’ lead didn’t last long into the second half as the Blue Jays tied the game off another corner four minutes into the second half, Alex Petrou scoring off a rebound from close in.
The Tigers could have retaken the lead shortly after Petrou’s equalizer, but saw Durrance’s free kick flick off the top of the defensive wall and go off the post, and a shot by Jordan Hayes turned around the left post by a good save.
The Blue Jays went ahead at the hour mark when Steven Cabos flicked a shot in with the outside of his right foot to make it 3-2. Cabos added his second with just under 10 minutes to go, but the wind had already been taken out of the Tigers’ sails.
New Orleans Jesuit coach Hubie Collins said he thought his side’s character was what made the difference.
“I think we just had to show our character in the second half, come out and show what we could do,” Collins said.
While he was disappointed his side hadn’t been able to pull off the upset, Bauman said he expected his side would learn from the game, and be better in their next outing.
“I think the biggest thing is we learned the difference between playing tentative and not to lose, compared to playing to win,” Bauman said. “We have some players who are bringing along their confidence level to play against a team of that caliber. So as we get these opportunities, which is a great opportunity like tonight, I think we’re going to learn from that and attempt to get better.
“I told this team from the first week on that the idea is we win our last game. That’s what matters to us. So if we get one percent better from tonight, we play another team at a higher level, then that’s a positive for us.”
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Preps: Terrapins boys jump into Top 20 of ESPN Rise Poll
Tampa Prep has jumped into the top 20 of ESPN Rise’s Winter soccer rankings, the Terrapins perfect 8-0-0 start to the season landing them at No.17 in the opening regular season list.
Also appearing in the rankings are Jesuit at No.43 and Gaither at No.50. Locals absent from the rankings, though, are current Hillsborough Coaches Poll No.1 Sickles and No.5 Plant City, both of whom have also made undefeated starts to the season.
2009 Class 5A champion Palm Harbor University, who are now in Class 6A are also absent. That is despite a 9-0-1 start to the season, and the No.1 spot in the St. Petersburg Times Pinellas County rankings. Seminole (10-1-2) and Countryside (9-1-0) also missed the cut.
Everyone except for Plant City will have a chance to enhance their reputation beginning this Saturday as they compete at the High School Soccer Classic at the Ed Radice Sports Complex, Jesuit facing No.6-ranked New Orleans Jesuit, Tampa Prep facing Gaither and Seminole facing No.33 Melbourne in the opening round of pool play.
Also appearing in the rankings are Jesuit at No.43 and Gaither at No.50. Locals absent from the rankings, though, are current Hillsborough Coaches Poll No.1 Sickles and No.5 Plant City, both of whom have also made undefeated starts to the season.
2009 Class 5A champion Palm Harbor University, who are now in Class 6A are also absent. That is despite a 9-0-1 start to the season, and the No.1 spot in the St. Petersburg Times Pinellas County rankings. Seminole (10-1-2) and Countryside (9-1-0) also missed the cut.
Everyone except for Plant City will have a chance to enhance their reputation beginning this Saturday as they compete at the High School Soccer Classic at the Ed Radice Sports Complex, Jesuit facing No.6-ranked New Orleans Jesuit, Tampa Prep facing Gaither and Seminole facing No.33 Melbourne in the opening round of pool play.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Preps: Tampa Catholic withdrawl allows Berkeley Prep into Classic
Berkeley Prep will play in this season’s High School Soccer Classic next weekend after Tampa Catholic withdrew from the 24-team field, Jesuit coach Bob Bauman confirmed on Thursday night.
Calls to Berkeley coach Tim Cooper and Tampa Catholic coach Kevin McCarron were not returned on Thursday night.
Berkeley had initially been excluded from the field due to a miscommunication between Bauman and Cooper, but the Buccaneers will now take the place of the Crusaders in Pool 4, facing Seminole and ESPN Rise No.9 Melbourne in the opening round of pool play. Bauman said he was glad the Buccaneers would get the opportunity to compete in the event.
“I would have felt awful if they hadn’t been able to come into the tournament,” Bauman said. “(Berkeley has) got a very good squad this year, so to not have them in it, to me, it wouldn’t have hurt the tournament, there are a lot of quality teams in it, but I would have just hated to see those kids miss out on that opportunity.”
The Classic begins on Dec. 19 at the Ed Radice Sports Complex.
Calls to Berkeley coach Tim Cooper and Tampa Catholic coach Kevin McCarron were not returned on Thursday night.
Berkeley had initially been excluded from the field due to a miscommunication between Bauman and Cooper, but the Buccaneers will now take the place of the Crusaders in Pool 4, facing Seminole and ESPN Rise No.9 Melbourne in the opening round of pool play. Bauman said he was glad the Buccaneers would get the opportunity to compete in the event.
“I would have felt awful if they hadn’t been able to come into the tournament,” Bauman said. “(Berkeley has) got a very good squad this year, so to not have them in it, to me, it wouldn’t have hurt the tournament, there are a lot of quality teams in it, but I would have just hated to see those kids miss out on that opportunity.”
The Classic begins on Dec. 19 at the Ed Radice Sports Complex.
Preps: New Orleans Jesuit in, Berkeley Prep absent from Classic field
Jesuit has released the complete pool play schedule for the High School Soccer Classic tournament, with ESPN Rise Winter rankings preseason No.6 New Orleans Jesuit headlining the 24-team field.
A notable absence, though, is Berkeley Prep. The Buccaneers helped found the tournament, now in its 16th season, and won the Premier Division of the tournament a season ago. According to an e-mail from Jesuit coach Bob Bauman sent out, the Buccaneers absence was due to a misunderstanding.
Here is the complete schedule for pool play, with the championship bracket schedule still a work in progress.
Pool 1
Saturday, Dec. 19, 2 p.m.: Land O’ Lakes vs. Monteverde
Monday, Dec. 21, 9 a.m.: Monteverde vs. Sarasota
Monday, Dec. 21, 2 p.m.: Sarasota vs. Land O’ Lakes
Pool 2
Saturday, Dec. 19, 2 p.m.: Gaither vs. Orlando Bishop Moore
Monday, Dec. 21, 9 a.m.: Gaither vs. Tampa Prep
Monday, Dec. 21, 2 p.m.: Tampa Prep vs. Orlando Bishop Moore
Pool 3
Saturday, Dec. 19, 4 p.m.: Stanton Prep vs. Orlando Dr. Phillips
Monday, Dec. 21, 11 a.m.: Stanton Prep vs. Mitchell
Monday Dec. 21, 4 p.m.: Mitchell vs. Orlando Dr. Phillips
Pool 4
Saturday, Dec. 19, 4 p.m.: Melbourne vs. Seminole
Monday, Dec. 21, 11 a.m.: Tampa Catholic vs. Melbourne
Monday, Dec. 21, 4 p.m.: Seminole vs. Tampa Catholic
Pool 5
Saturday, Dec. 19, 6 p.m.: Countryside vs. Orangewood Christian
Monday, Dec. 21, 1 p.m.: Orangewood Christian vs. Gulf Breeze
Monday, Dec. 21, 6 p.m.: Countryside vs. Gulf Breeze
Pool 6
Saturday, Dec. 19, 6 p.m.: Palm Harbor vs. Lake Mary
Monday, Dec. 21, 1 p.m.: Palm Harbor vs. Clearwater Central Catholic
Monday, Dec. 21, 6 p.m.: Clearwater Central Catholic vs. Lake Mary
Pool 7
Saturday, Dec. 19, 8 p.m.: Jacksonville Bolles vs. Niceville
Monday, Dec. 21, 3 p.m.: Jacksonville Bolles vs. Sickles
Monday, Dec. 21, 8 p.m.: Sickles vs. Niceville
Pool 8
Saturday, Dec. 19, 8 p.m.: Jesuit vs. New Orleans Jesuit, 8 p.m.
Monday, Dec. 21, 3 p.m.: Fort Myers Bishop Verot vs. New Orleans Jesuit, 3 p.m.
Monday, Dec. 21, 8 p.m.: Jesuit vs. Fort Myers Bishop Verot, 8 p.m.
A notable absence, though, is Berkeley Prep. The Buccaneers helped found the tournament, now in its 16th season, and won the Premier Division of the tournament a season ago. According to an e-mail from Jesuit coach Bob Bauman sent out, the Buccaneers absence was due to a misunderstanding.
Here is the complete schedule for pool play, with the championship bracket schedule still a work in progress.
Pool 1
Saturday, Dec. 19, 2 p.m.: Land O’ Lakes vs. Monteverde
Monday, Dec. 21, 9 a.m.: Monteverde vs. Sarasota
Monday, Dec. 21, 2 p.m.: Sarasota vs. Land O’ Lakes
Pool 2
Saturday, Dec. 19, 2 p.m.: Gaither vs. Orlando Bishop Moore
Monday, Dec. 21, 9 a.m.: Gaither vs. Tampa Prep
Monday, Dec. 21, 2 p.m.: Tampa Prep vs. Orlando Bishop Moore
Pool 3
Saturday, Dec. 19, 4 p.m.: Stanton Prep vs. Orlando Dr. Phillips
Monday, Dec. 21, 11 a.m.: Stanton Prep vs. Mitchell
Monday Dec. 21, 4 p.m.: Mitchell vs. Orlando Dr. Phillips
Pool 4
Saturday, Dec. 19, 4 p.m.: Melbourne vs. Seminole
Monday, Dec. 21, 11 a.m.: Tampa Catholic vs. Melbourne
Monday, Dec. 21, 4 p.m.: Seminole vs. Tampa Catholic
Pool 5
Saturday, Dec. 19, 6 p.m.: Countryside vs. Orangewood Christian
Monday, Dec. 21, 1 p.m.: Orangewood Christian vs. Gulf Breeze
Monday, Dec. 21, 6 p.m.: Countryside vs. Gulf Breeze
Pool 6
Saturday, Dec. 19, 6 p.m.: Palm Harbor vs. Lake Mary
Monday, Dec. 21, 1 p.m.: Palm Harbor vs. Clearwater Central Catholic
Monday, Dec. 21, 6 p.m.: Clearwater Central Catholic vs. Lake Mary
Pool 7
Saturday, Dec. 19, 8 p.m.: Jacksonville Bolles vs. Niceville
Monday, Dec. 21, 3 p.m.: Jacksonville Bolles vs. Sickles
Monday, Dec. 21, 8 p.m.: Sickles vs. Niceville
Pool 8
Saturday, Dec. 19, 8 p.m.: Jesuit vs. New Orleans Jesuit, 8 p.m.
Monday, Dec. 21, 3 p.m.: Fort Myers Bishop Verot vs. New Orleans Jesuit, 3 p.m.
Monday, Dec. 21, 8 p.m.: Jesuit vs. Fort Myers Bishop Verot, 8 p.m.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Preps: Tigers appear to have turned corner
After picking up Coach Bob Bauman the 500th win of his career, Jesuit appears to have turned a corner in its season. The Tigers defeated Sarasota Riverview 3-0 and Bradenton Manatee 4-1 last week in the Sarasota High School Tournament before the final against Palmetto was postponed due to an unplayable field.
Bauman said he would be looking into rescheduling the final, and that he was pleased with the way his side had performed in the other two games of the tournament.
“Both (Sarasota Riverview and Manatee) were unbeaten, both teams had a lot of veteran players, and we played very well,” Bauman said. “We had guys really step up, Brett Durrance had a really good tournament, I think he had three goals in a couple of games, Stephen Gathman had three in a couple of games, so we really have things rolling pretty well.”
The Tigers face three district games against Spoto, Jefferson and Blake before they host the High School Invitational over the holiday period.
Bauman said he would be looking into rescheduling the final, and that he was pleased with the way his side had performed in the other two games of the tournament.
“Both (Sarasota Riverview and Manatee) were unbeaten, both teams had a lot of veteran players, and we played very well,” Bauman said. “We had guys really step up, Brett Durrance had a really good tournament, I think he had three goals in a couple of games, Stephen Gathman had three in a couple of games, so we really have things rolling pretty well.”
The Tigers face three district games against Spoto, Jefferson and Blake before they host the High School Invitational over the holiday period.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Preps: Terrapins beat Tigers, but left with food for thought
TAMPA – Tampa Prep continued its undefeated start to the season on Wednesday night, but the manner of the Terrapins 4-3 victory against Jesuit left Coach Doug Smith a little concerned.
“Frankly, we got the win, but I don’t think we played as well as we could play,” Smith said. “I don’t think we controlled the ball like we are capable of doing. We were one-dimensional, going too much over the top, we needed to play more to feet, keep the ball, keep our composure.”
But while Smith may have thought the Terrapins play was one-dimensional, the counter-punching style they were able to utilize paid off for them against the Tigers. Using the speed of front men Wes Sever and Jesuit transfer Burrell Aaron effectively, Sever and Twain Glaser found the net to give the Terrapins a 2-0 halftime lead.
“We were fortunate to get a counter or two, and get a couple of goals,” Smith said. “By no means were we dominating the game when we scored our first two goals, and then I think the game opened up a bit.”
The Terrapins (3-0) added a third early in the second half, but then lost senior center back Travis Simmons after a nasty clash of heads with Jesuit’s Trevor Adams left both players dazed, and unable to continue. Simmons' absence, and the loss of defensive midfielder Brandon Weisz to injury that followed it, disrupted the Terrapins at the back. All three of the Tigers goals came after Simmons left the game, an indicator of how important his quick recovery will be for the Terps.
Tampa Prep's Anthony Baumann scored on a low shot off a free kick from the left corner of the penalty area to make the score 4-1, seemingly putting the game out of reach, but the Tigers were able to pull within a goal late, an injury time penalty giving them hope of pulling out a tie. That disappointed Smith, but he felt that the side would learn from what was their first true test this season.
“I still think as far as the flow of play, we could have done a lot better,” Smith said. “I don’t think, frankly, our guys had been used to that thus far in the season, where they had no time on the ball, and I thought Jesuit, to their credit, did a good job.”
As for Jesuit (1-1-2), the Tigers are now winless in three straight, a pair of ties against Tampa Catholic and Robinson coming before Wednesday’s loss. That fact may be slightly misleading, though, as in all three the Tigers have played well, with an inability to take the chances they are creating the only apparent reason for their struggles.
With an eminently winnable game against Middleton up next for Jesuit, the Tigers should be able to get back on track before they head to Sarasota for the Sarasota High Thanksgiving Invitational, beginning on Monday.
“Frankly, we got the win, but I don’t think we played as well as we could play,” Smith said. “I don’t think we controlled the ball like we are capable of doing. We were one-dimensional, going too much over the top, we needed to play more to feet, keep the ball, keep our composure.”
But while Smith may have thought the Terrapins play was one-dimensional, the counter-punching style they were able to utilize paid off for them against the Tigers. Using the speed of front men Wes Sever and Jesuit transfer Burrell Aaron effectively, Sever and Twain Glaser found the net to give the Terrapins a 2-0 halftime lead.
“We were fortunate to get a counter or two, and get a couple of goals,” Smith said. “By no means were we dominating the game when we scored our first two goals, and then I think the game opened up a bit.”
The Terrapins (3-0) added a third early in the second half, but then lost senior center back Travis Simmons after a nasty clash of heads with Jesuit’s Trevor Adams left both players dazed, and unable to continue. Simmons' absence, and the loss of defensive midfielder Brandon Weisz to injury that followed it, disrupted the Terrapins at the back. All three of the Tigers goals came after Simmons left the game, an indicator of how important his quick recovery will be for the Terps.
Tampa Prep's Anthony Baumann scored on a low shot off a free kick from the left corner of the penalty area to make the score 4-1, seemingly putting the game out of reach, but the Tigers were able to pull within a goal late, an injury time penalty giving them hope of pulling out a tie. That disappointed Smith, but he felt that the side would learn from what was their first true test this season.
“I still think as far as the flow of play, we could have done a lot better,” Smith said. “I don’t think, frankly, our guys had been used to that thus far in the season, where they had no time on the ball, and I thought Jesuit, to their credit, did a good job.”
As for Jesuit (1-1-2), the Tigers are now winless in three straight, a pair of ties against Tampa Catholic and Robinson coming before Wednesday’s loss. That fact may be slightly misleading, though, as in all three the Tigers have played well, with an inability to take the chances they are creating the only apparent reason for their struggles.
With an eminently winnable game against Middleton up next for Jesuit, the Tigers should be able to get back on track before they head to Sarasota for the Sarasota High Thanksgiving Invitational, beginning on Monday.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Preps: Tigers strike late, earn tie with Crusaders
TAMPA -- Joseph Metzger scored with 10 minutes to go to earn Jesuit's soccer team a 1-1 tie with Tampa Catholic at Crusaders Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Tigers (1-0-1) had been building pressure on the Crusaders as the second half had gone on, and it finally told as Christopher Conlon's cross from the right was met on the half-volley by Metzger and tucked into the right corner of the net from eight yards out.
Tampa Catholic had taken the lead in the eighth minute, a long throw-in from the left by Steven Ramos being flicked on by Brendan McCarron to Christian Blattler, who flicked a volley into the right corner of the net.
The Crusaders (1-0-2) had other chances to extend their lead, Andrew Buckley having his chance snuffed out by advancing Jesuit goalkeeper Seth Drummond after Buckley had been put in through on the left side. Drummond also made an outstanding save, scrambling across his goal to turn a shot pinpointed for the top right corner of his net by McCarron on a quickly taken free kick early in the second half.
“He made some brilliant saves to keep us in the game,” Jesuit coach Bob Bauman said.
As each half went on, though, the young Tigers side came further and further into the game and began to create opportunities of their own. The Tigers almost tied the game midway through the second half as Stephen Gathman's downward header off a corner from the left came off the ground hard, hit the underside of the crossbar and was finally swept away for another corner by a TC defender. That corner created another opportunity for Joel Gutierrez, whose shot went off the post before being gathered by TC goalkeeper Paul Wilson.
The Crusaders, who began the game with a short bench, also struggled with injuries as Kevin Carter was unable to complete the game with a hip problem, and Matt Moore left the game late with cramps. TC coach Kevin McCarron said he was happy to take a tie.
“I think ultimately it was a fair result,” McCarron said. “If the game goes on any longer, they win the game because we just ran out of subs. Of course, we're disappointed we didn't win, but this is as close as we've come to a win here since I've been the coach here.”
Bauman too believed his side would have earned victory had they had a little more time, but was happy with the way his side played against the more experienced Crusaders, and how they were able to limit Buckley's opportunities.
“Our backline did a very good job of forcing him away from goal where he couldn't really be as creative,” Bauman said. “Last year, I think he scored two against us where we let him slip in over the top and didn't have a chance to recover. For us today, I think every time he got it, we forced him away from goal.”
Jesuit faces Robinson in its district opener on Monday before facing Tampa Prep on Wednesday. Tampa Catholic also opens district play this week, travelling to face Berkeley Prep on Thursday after a game against Anclote on Tuesday.
The Tigers (1-0-1) had been building pressure on the Crusaders as the second half had gone on, and it finally told as Christopher Conlon's cross from the right was met on the half-volley by Metzger and tucked into the right corner of the net from eight yards out.
Tampa Catholic had taken the lead in the eighth minute, a long throw-in from the left by Steven Ramos being flicked on by Brendan McCarron to Christian Blattler, who flicked a volley into the right corner of the net.
The Crusaders (1-0-2) had other chances to extend their lead, Andrew Buckley having his chance snuffed out by advancing Jesuit goalkeeper Seth Drummond after Buckley had been put in through on the left side. Drummond also made an outstanding save, scrambling across his goal to turn a shot pinpointed for the top right corner of his net by McCarron on a quickly taken free kick early in the second half.
“He made some brilliant saves to keep us in the game,” Jesuit coach Bob Bauman said.
As each half went on, though, the young Tigers side came further and further into the game and began to create opportunities of their own. The Tigers almost tied the game midway through the second half as Stephen Gathman's downward header off a corner from the left came off the ground hard, hit the underside of the crossbar and was finally swept away for another corner by a TC defender. That corner created another opportunity for Joel Gutierrez, whose shot went off the post before being gathered by TC goalkeeper Paul Wilson.
The Crusaders, who began the game with a short bench, also struggled with injuries as Kevin Carter was unable to complete the game with a hip problem, and Matt Moore left the game late with cramps. TC coach Kevin McCarron said he was happy to take a tie.
“I think ultimately it was a fair result,” McCarron said. “If the game goes on any longer, they win the game because we just ran out of subs. Of course, we're disappointed we didn't win, but this is as close as we've come to a win here since I've been the coach here.”
Bauman too believed his side would have earned victory had they had a little more time, but was happy with the way his side played against the more experienced Crusaders, and how they were able to limit Buckley's opportunities.
“Our backline did a very good job of forcing him away from goal where he couldn't really be as creative,” Bauman said. “Last year, I think he scored two against us where we let him slip in over the top and didn't have a chance to recover. For us today, I think every time he got it, we forced him away from goal.”
Jesuit faces Robinson in its district opener on Monday before facing Tampa Prep on Wednesday. Tampa Catholic also opens district play this week, travelling to face Berkeley Prep on Thursday after a game against Anclote on Tuesday.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Preps: New districts open opportunity for greater competition
TAMPA – Reclassification and redistricting could have a major impact on the upcoming boys soccer season, with the class 5A and 6A districts involving Hillsborough County schools looking more balanced than in recent seasons.
But despite all the movement, when the postseason comes will it be a case of the more things change, the more they stay the same?
“Every year is a new year, and over the course of 10 years you have certain teams who are just always there, and I don’t think that’s going to change,” Gaither coach Eric Sims said. “I think teams with good programs as long as their getting an influx of decent players, I think they’ll be there.”
That may be the case in some instances, with Tampa Prep in particular looking to have excellent final four credentials in Class 2A, as does Jesuit with its return to 4A, but the realigned districts in Class 5A and 6A appear as though they will offer serious competition, and maybe some surprises come district tournament time.
The Cowboys new district, Class 5A-District 9, also includes returning state runner-up Freedom, Sickles, King and Leto. Sims, though, believes Hillsborough could be a surprise team that could find its way into the postseason. The Terriers include Kofi Forkuoh, who could be poised for a breakout season. After making the playoffs twice before missing out the past two seasons, Steven Colborne believes by the time the end of the season arrives, his side will be able to compete with anyone else in their district.
“We’re going to go into it open-minded, and do our best and try to progress as the season moves on,” Colborne said. “We might be a little rusty at the beginning of the season, but by the end of the year, we’re going to be pretty competitive.”
In Class 5A-8 Durant coach Jamin Hollingsworth, whose side reached the Region Final last season, thinks East Bay is probably the favorite to win the district, which would give the Indians back-to-back trips to the postseason for the first time in the their history. Wharton, now in Class 6A-8, is likely the favorite to win its district, but the Wildcats will likely see strong competition from Alonso, Bloomingdale and even a young Plant squad.
Freedom coach Dennis Derflinger thinks the balance in the Patriots’ new district, and in Class 5A-8 and 6A-8, is going to give more teams more competitive matches over the course of the season, which will help teams build for a postseason run.
“I think it’s great, I think it’s great for soccer in general,” Derflinger said. “You don’t want to look at a district and see that you don’t have any challenges throughout your district games. In my own opinion, I want the difficult games. You want to play your guys against some competition to see what they can actually do, that way you’re prepared for the postseason stuff.
“If you don’t have that experience, you might be facing things beyond districts that you’re not used to seeing, and at least during the season it gives you a chance to correct problems that may occur against the better opposition.”
But despite all the movement, when the postseason comes will it be a case of the more things change, the more they stay the same?
“Every year is a new year, and over the course of 10 years you have certain teams who are just always there, and I don’t think that’s going to change,” Gaither coach Eric Sims said. “I think teams with good programs as long as their getting an influx of decent players, I think they’ll be there.”
That may be the case in some instances, with Tampa Prep in particular looking to have excellent final four credentials in Class 2A, as does Jesuit with its return to 4A, but the realigned districts in Class 5A and 6A appear as though they will offer serious competition, and maybe some surprises come district tournament time.
The Cowboys new district, Class 5A-District 9, also includes returning state runner-up Freedom, Sickles, King and Leto. Sims, though, believes Hillsborough could be a surprise team that could find its way into the postseason. The Terriers include Kofi Forkuoh, who could be poised for a breakout season. After making the playoffs twice before missing out the past two seasons, Steven Colborne believes by the time the end of the season arrives, his side will be able to compete with anyone else in their district.
“We’re going to go into it open-minded, and do our best and try to progress as the season moves on,” Colborne said. “We might be a little rusty at the beginning of the season, but by the end of the year, we’re going to be pretty competitive.”
In Class 5A-8 Durant coach Jamin Hollingsworth, whose side reached the Region Final last season, thinks East Bay is probably the favorite to win the district, which would give the Indians back-to-back trips to the postseason for the first time in the their history. Wharton, now in Class 6A-8, is likely the favorite to win its district, but the Wildcats will likely see strong competition from Alonso, Bloomingdale and even a young Plant squad.
Freedom coach Dennis Derflinger thinks the balance in the Patriots’ new district, and in Class 5A-8 and 6A-8, is going to give more teams more competitive matches over the course of the season, which will help teams build for a postseason run.
“I think it’s great, I think it’s great for soccer in general,” Derflinger said. “You don’t want to look at a district and see that you don’t have any challenges throughout your district games. In my own opinion, I want the difficult games. You want to play your guys against some competition to see what they can actually do, that way you’re prepared for the postseason stuff.
“If you don’t have that experience, you might be facing things beyond districts that you’re not used to seeing, and at least during the season it gives you a chance to correct problems that may occur against the better opposition.”
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