Prep soccer: Youngsters spark run to lead Dixie to playoff win

Written by Bob Hudson
May 5, 2016
Dixie's Tyler Bennett (8) fires a shot on goal, Dixie vs. North Sanpete, Soccer, May 5, 2016, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — After Dixie had missed its first five shots, underclassmen Thayne Reid and Jose Soto teamed up for a goal in the 23rd minute of the first half and went on to a 6-1 win over North Sanpete in the first round of the Class 3A boys soccer playoffs on Friday at Walt Brooks Stadium.

dixie-logonorth-sanpete-logo“I was a little disappointed we missed our first four or five shots,” said Dixie coach Burt Myers. “A lot of games you’re not going to get that many good looks.”

“It was good to get the misses out of our system,” said co-captain Tyler Bennett. “Our younger class stepped up.”

Dixie vs. North Sanpete, Soccer, May 5, 2016, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News
Dixie vs. North Sanpete, Soccer, May 5, 2016, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News

Reid fired a cross to Soto, who rocketed a shot past North Sanpete keeper Valentine Gasca to get the Flyers rolling. Bennett dribbled in for the second goal in the 15th minute and Zack Stucki did the same thing in the 14th minute. Cristian Chavez added a goal in the 8th minute.

Dixie, which outshot North Sanpete 17-1 in the first half, had a 4-0 lead at intermission.

Tauri Morales scored nine seconds into the second half and Av’ry Green added a penalty kick in the 32nd minute.

Raul Angel-Mariscal scored North Sanpete’s goal on a penalty kick in the 30th minute.

Josh Bennett missed a penalty kick for the Flyers in the 14th minute of the second half when he banged his shot off the crossbar.

Myers played several of his younger players through much of the second half.

Dixie's Jose "Tauri" Morales (21), Dixie vs. North Sanpete, Soccer, May 5, 2016, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News
Dixie’s Jose “Tauri” Morales (21), Dixie vs. North Sanpete, Soccer, May 5, 2016, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News

“We considered whether to put it away or let the younger guys get their minutes,” Myers said. “They had a ball and we were able to stay fresh.”

Myers praised the play of Green, who was all over the field, Bennett, Morales and Mikey Houk.

“Av’ry has played four years and understands soccer,” Myers said. “I’m really happy with what he’s accomplished for us. We got the first round win. We saw some things to work on tomorrow.”

Dixie will travel to Stansbury for a 1 p.m. quarterfinal match on Saturday.

“We just want to win our next game,” said Bennett. “That’s all we’re thinking about. Hopefully we can build off what we did today for Stansbury.”

Dixie, the Region 9 co-champion, has won six straight and 11 of its last 12 games. The Flyers are 12-3-1 overall.

Desert Hills 4, Carbon 2

Hunter Spray had two goals for the Thunder and Bridger Nelson and Kelton Holt had one each.

Jamin Jensen scored one goal for the Dinos and the Thunder scored an own goal.

desert-hills-logocarbon-logo“Carbon’s goal was to pack the box,” noted DH coach Benji Nelson. “They had one guy up and nine inside their own goal box.”

Despite that strategy, Spray gave the Thunder a 1-0 lead at the half.

Early in the second half, a Desert Hills defender headed a ball back to his keeper, who slipped with the ball rolling into the goal.

“We possessed the ball well in the second half, waiting for opportunities to score,” Nelson said. Holt and Nelson scored off crosses from Kanon Heaton and Spray added a 30-yard rocket.

“It’s always tough traveling on a bus for several hours, then stepping off and playing,” Nelson said. “We started out sluggish. And the playing field was much different from any other games we have played this season.

“We played better in the second half,” Nelson added. “We are excited to get the win and expect to play for the win against Juan Diego on Saturday.”

DH, 13-4-0 and the Soaring Eagle, 15-0-0, will square off at 1 p.m. in Draper.

Canyon View 2, Cedar 1

Juan Ruiz and Jonathan Hernandez had goals for the Falcons, who held off the challenge of the crosstown Redmen.

canyon-view-logocedar-logoHernandez now has 22 career goals and 13 this season. Ruiz notched his fifth of the season for the Falcons, who captured the first playoff win in school history in boys soccer. The school has been open since 1997.

But it wasn’t easy as JD Beachum scored for Cedar with a strike in the box midway through the first half.

The Falcons tied it a few minutes later when Hernandez pooched one over the keeper in the right corner. It stayed tied until Ruiz’s goal in the first five minutes of the second half made it 2-1 and Canyon View made the lead stand up.

Canyon View, 12-4-1, will entertain Grantsville in the state quarterfinals on Saturday at 1 p.m. Cedar ends the year with a 5-10-2 record.

3A State Playoff First Round results
Grantsville 3, Ben Lomond 2 (F/OT)
Canyon View 2, Cedar 1
Desert Hills 4, Carbon 2
Stansbury 2, Morgan 0
Dixie 6, North Sanpete 1
Logan 5, Park City 1
Snow Canyon 8, Richfield 0
Juan Diego 6, Union 1

3A State Playoff Quarterfinal matchups (all games Saturday at 1 p.m.)
Logan at Canyon View
Grantsville at Snow Canyon
Dixie at Stansbury
Desert Hills at Juan Diego

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @oldschoolag

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2016, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bob Hudson is a graduate of Brigham Young University. He has been a sportswriter in central and southern Utah and Southeast Idaho. He has also worked as a news editor and managing editor. He has lived in St. George since 2000.

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