Chargers rout Sartans in finale

Charles Touche scores 5 goals as Academy builds momentum for state

You would be hard pressed to find a better way to end a home career than the way a smiling Charles Touche ended his on Saturday afternoon. The senior forward from Albuquerque Academy had a first-half hat trick and finished with five goals for the Chargers as they routed visiting St. Pius 6-1 in a regular-season boys soccer finale. “Not only was it Senior Day, it was our longtime rivals and it was our last game,” Touche said. “We want to carry this momentum over into the (state) tournament.” The Chargers (16-3-1) had four goals in an eight-minute span in the first half; Touche’s brother Alex had the other goal. Charles Touche scored twice more in the second half, both on dishes from Owen Keleher, who finished with three helpers. St. Pius (11-8-2) got a goal from Andres Torres early in the first half in the non-district game. “I think it was important for us to get a game as big as this,” Charles Touche said. Sartans-Chargers was a highlight game on the final day of prep soccer’s regular season. Volcano Vista’s boys edged Cleveland 2-1 to close out a perfect, 8-0 record in District 1-6A and leave the Storm in a likely three-way tie for second place with Cibola and Rio Rancho. St. Pius’ girls scored both goals on penalty kicks as the Sartans defeated visiting Academy 2-1 on Saturday.

State brackets

The New Mexico Activities Association will announce the six playoff brackets this afternoon in Classes 6A, 5A and 1A-4A. Metro-area district champions in Class 6A are Cibola’s girls and Volcano Vista’s boys in 1-6A, La Cueva’s boys and girls in 2-6A, and Albuquerque High’s boys and girls in 4-6A. St. Pius swept in District 5-5A; the boys edged Los Lunas on a goal differential against the rest of the district. Academy swept in 2-5A. Bosque School (District 5) and Hope Christian (District 4) were boys champions in Class 1A-4A, as were the girls from Sandia Prep (5) and Hope (4).