Hawks get 2 PKs, beat San Luis
Franco, Ledezma make penalties; Gila Ridge defense absorbs Sidewinders’ attack in win
The Gila Ridge boys soccer team circled this section of their schedule. A sixday stretch against in-town 6A rivals Kofa, San Luis and Cibola. So far, so good. Two days after a roaring comeback to beat Kofa, 4-3, the Hawks used two penalty kicks to beat the Sidewinders, 2-1, on Friday at Veterans Memorial Stadium.
“It’s another Gila RidgeSan Luis (game),” Gila Ridge coach Corey Semler said. “There’s so much competition down here. We know the city matches usually prepare us for playoffs. That’s really what they feel like; every city match feels like the playoffs.”
The first goal came quickly. Gila Ridge’s Esteban Franco was primed for a would-be goal until a tackle brought him to the ground. The result was Franco converting
5-1-1 AIA 5-2-1 AIA
the penalty kick, and San Luis’ Fernando Casas being sent off with a yellow card.
Ten minutes later, San Luis (5-2-1 AIA) equalized with a Samuel Apodaca header on a ball received from a cross. Apodaca launched the ball above Gila Ridge goalkeeper Jared Duran into the top of the net.
Some narrow misses occurred on both sides early into the second half. In the 44th minute, Evis Fierro almost gave the Hawks (51-1) a lead with a cross-field shot from just outside the box, but it went to the left of the goal. Six minutes after, on the other end of the pitch, Apodaca nearly sent in a strike, but Duran made a great save. The ball then ricocheted, and the Sidewinders nearly made another, but Duran and center back Erick Beltran cleared the danger.
That sequence was a microcosm of the night’s events. In terms of penetrating in the attacking third, San Luis had the upper hand more often. But the difference was, the Hawks limited shots — or at least, good shots — consistently.
“We really focus on building out of the back, both with possession, attacking, everything — it starts with the back,” Semler said. “We drill that a lot at practice, and it takes special guys to play back there. Now that this is our third year in,