Dragons win home opener
ARGOS — The Argos High School boys soccer team was a nice host initially, then got down to business.
After spotting visiting Oak Hill an early goal, the Dragons came back with four unanswered tallies to win their home opener, 4-1, Saturday at Eugene Snyder Field.
“Very happy with the win,” said Argos head coach Todd Vanderweele.
The Golden Eagles scored in the 12th minute on a restart after an Argos foul, but Sam Manikowski scored the equalizer just three minutes later when he redirected Gabe Stone’s offering, also on a foul restart.
“(Sam) gets up front on corners and free kicks, so he has some opportunities to score now and then,” Vanderweele said of his senior defender. “It was big.”
Midway through the first half, Chino Roque was going 1-on-1, when two more defenders joined in, but somehow the senior forward was able to punch the ball through the defense and past the Oak Hill keeper for a 2-1 lead.
“I don’t know what happened (on the goal we gave up), but we scored two goals within (10 minutes) and after the second goal, I thought we controlled the game for the most part,” added Vanderweele. “On the second goal, I felt we should have had a PK, but Chino was able to poke it in anyway. That was huge, getting the lead, because then they did things they didn’t want to do.”
Three minutes after intermission Roque topped his first goal when he completed a beautiful bicycle kick after Owen Nifong’s header on a corner kick from Cameron Markley.
“That was a pretty goal,” admitted Vanderweele. “I don’t coach for the theatrics, but for that situation, in the box, you don’t really have much time to settle the ball. I felt that was the smart play and he was able to put it in.”
Late in the game, Devon Allen scored the final goal shortly after being inserted into the lineup, by knocking in the rebound after Pablo Martin Mata’s shot went off the top of the crossbar.
“Devon is full of heart, works hard and he deserved that,” said Vanderweele of the junior forward. “He put himself in position and put it away.”
Overall, the Dragons dominated time of possession and when Oak Hill was able to move up the field, the Argos ‘D’ was more than ready.
“(Karzdon) Mccrammer was back there last year and so was Sam, but it’s really a new unit (with the addition of Gabe Stone and Ted Redinger),” Vanderweele said of his back row. “They play well together. Redinger knows how to be physical and not foul and that’s huge in the middle. He complements Sam. The guys on the outside are so fast.”
Argos hits the road for its next game, heading to Elkhart Christian Academy on Tuesday.
• ARGOS 4, OAK HILL 1
At Argos
OH - Gavin Holz 12th min. A - Sam Manikowski (Gabe Stone) 15th min.
A - Chino Roque 22nd min.
A - Roque (Owen Nifong) 43rd min.
A - Devon Allen 68th min. Shots: Argos 23, Oak Hill 9 Saves: Argos 3 (Kurt Johnson), Oak Hill 10 (Samuel Boyer) Fouls: Argos 7, Oak Hill 9 Corner kicks: Argos 9, Oak Hill 2 Yellow cards: Oak Hill 1 (Mark Sevier)
Record: Argos 1-1