Bulldogs are older, wiser and winners
ABQ High romps past Farmington on first day of state soccer
A handful of the current Albuquerque High Bulldogs who were in the state semifinals back in 2018 as sophomores have returned with a chance to take the next, giant step forward.
At AHS on a breezy afternoon, University of New Mexico signee Zaria Katesigwa had a hat trick and two assists, and Abila Tapia added a pair of goals as the second-seeded Bulldogs (6-0) coasted to a 9-0 Class 5A girls quarterfinal win Tuesday over outmatched No. 7 seed Farmington (8-3).
It was the first day of state tournament play for the state soccer season, a fall sport delayed by pandemic concerns.
Albuquerque High will host No. 3 Centennial in Thursday’s semifinals, with the winner advancing to Saturday’s 5A final. The Hawks defeated Hobbs 2-0 in that quarter of the bracket on Tuesday.
And AHS said an extra 2½ years should serve it well in the semis after coming up short in November 2018 against Sandia.
“We actually know what we’re doing now,” AHS senior center back Sofia Trejo said. “Two (seasons) ago, we didn’t have the experience that this team has now. It’s a totally different feeling.”
That was readily apparent throughout this one-sided quarterfinal.
“I haven’t seen the girls come together, because it’s such a short season,” Bulldogs coach Sara Torrez said. “It’s interesting for it to come together in the state tournament, and we’re hoping our next game will be even stronger.”
Sabrina Reyes added a goal and an assist for the Bulldogs.
No. 4 RIO RANCHO 2, No. 5 PIEDRA
VISTA 0: In Rio Rancho, junior Kennedy Baugh’s first goal of the season couldn’t have come at a better time: in the 51st minute of what had been a scoreless state quarterfinal game.
Then, in the game’s final minute, senior Sophia Lau drilled a shot at Panthers (8-3) goalkeeper Hailey Drake; the ball caromed off Drake and back onto the leg of Lau, and her insurance goal sent the Rams (7-2-2) to the state semifinal round for the first time since 2016.
The best decision of the game came when the Rams opted to have the ferocious wind at their backs in the second half, when they deluged Drake with at least 13 meaningful shots.
“It was a little bit rough-and-tough at times,” Rio Rancho coach Uwe Balzis added, although his team — behind senior goalkeeper Briana Gresham and a stingy defense — has gone five hours in its last four games without allowing a goal.
The Rams on Thursday visit No. 1 seed Carlsbad. Alexa Dugan scored in the 47th minute for the Cavegirls in Tuesday’s quarters in their 1-0 decision over No. 8 Volcano Vista. — Gary Herron
Class 4A
No. 2 HOPE CHRISTIAN 10, No. 7 DEL NORTE 1: At Hope Christian, Savanah Sanchez racked up three goals and an assist, Zylee Dominguez added a goal and four assists and the second-seeded Huskies eliminated a determined Knights team on a windy, dusty Tuesday.
Hope (9-1-1) scored early and often in spite whipping winds that left the field in a dusty haze by the second half. The Huskies led 8-1 by halftime.
Coach Amy Fankam was more than satisfied with her team’s dominating performance.
“This whole year has really been a team effort,” Fankam said. “Honestly, it doesn’t matter who I put in, there’s no drop-off.”
Del Norte goalkeeper Casey Mariscal amassed 15 saves, including one on a penalty kick and several on diving deflections, preventing the Knights from losing via mercy rule.
But Del Norte (4-2) spent most of the match bottled up on its own end of the field. Hope grabbed the lead in the sixth minute when Hannah Gutierrez blasted a shot off Mariscal’s hands, and Sanchez added back-to-back tallies — the second coming when Dominguez hit a shot off the right post that bounded back to Sanchez.
The Huskies steadily built their 3-0 lead to 7-0 late in the first half, but Del Norte capitalized on its best opportunity to avoid a shutout. Alexandria Estrada hammered a free kick off the crossbar that deflected down and hit just inside the goal area in the 37th minute.
The Knights were unable to put another shot on goal thanks in large part to Hope’s aggressive midfield play.
— Ken Sickenger ALSO TUESDAY: Aztec broke a long scoreless stalemate in overtime, as Denym Seabolt scored for the thirdseeded Tigers as they turned aside No. 6 seed Albuquerque Academy on Tuesday night, 1-0. Aztec will play at Hope on Thursday afternoon in the semifinals… At St. Pius, 4A’s top-seeded Sartans got goals from five players as they advanced into the semis with a 5-0 triumph over visiting Silver. St. Pius next faces No. 4 Goddard, on Thursday afternoon. St. Pius outshot Silver 29-0 in the victory. Kyera Chavez had a goal and two assists for St. Pius. Emma Donlin also had a goal and two assists. The Rockets moved on with a 4-0 quarterfinal victory over fifthseeded Los Alamos.
Class 1A-3A
No. 3 SOCORRO 2, No. 2 BOSQUE
SCHOOL 1: At Bosque, for a time, it appeared the Warriors were facing more than just the Bobcats.
Especially Warriors midfielder Elise Madril, who sent shots ricocheting off the crossbar as if that was what she was trying to do.
“It’s so aggravating because it’s so close to going in and it’s so frustrating because that could be your game-winner right there,” Madril said.
But in the end Madril was able to beat her nemesis with a goal in the 78th minute, and in the process send Socorro (7-3-1) to the state championship game Thursday at noon, at the University of New Mexico complex, against top-seeded St. Michael’s.
On the game-winner, the ball had been volleyed around before Madril controlled it. She took a back-heel touch to spin around facing the Bosque goal from 35 yards, out and lofted a pinpoint shot into the upper V.
Raila Jaffer was the goal scorer for Bosque (7-3) in the 55th minute, weaving past three Warriors defenders before firing a goal from 20 yards.
No. 1 seed St. Michael’s defeated defending state champion Sandia Prep, 4-0, in Santa Fe, in the other semifinal on Tuesday.