Region 9 boys soccer: Crimson Cliffs unbeaten in region; Snow Canyon, Dixie tied for 2nd

Written by Jeff Richards
March 23, 2021
Snow Canyon boys soccer at Canyon View, Cedar City, Utah, March 19, 2021 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

ST. GEORGE — Four games into Region 9’s regular boy soccer season, only one team remains undefeated in region play, as Crimson Cliffs kept their unbeaten streak alive with a 5-0 shutout win over Canyon View Tuesday night.

In other action Tuesday, Dixie outlasted Snow Canyon in overtime, while Hurricane defeated Cedar in double overtime and Desert Hills won convincingly at Pine View.

Dixie and Snow Canyon are now tied for second place in the standings with 3-1 region records, while Desert Hills and Hurricane are tied for fourth place at 2-2.

Following are short recaps of Tuesday night’s action, along with the four Region 9 contests played last Friday.

Tuesday’s games

Hurricane 2, Cedar 1 (2OT)

At Hurricane, the Tigers and the Reds battled to a 1-1 tie that held up until the end of regulation and through the first 10-minute overtime. Then, with about three minutes left in the second OT, Yair Vega scored on a free kick to give Hurricane the 2-1 victory.

Hurricane had scored the game’s first goal in the first half, with Hunter Neeley finding the net, assisted by Gunnar Woods. Cedar soon answered with a stolen ball that was converted by Tristan Yapi, tying the score 1-1 before halftime.

“We had some excellent chances in the second half but just couldn’t get one in,” said Cedar head coach Scott Kamachi.

Hurricane improved to 2-2 in region play with the win, while Cedar dropped to 1-3.

Dixie 1, Snow Canyon 0 (OT)

In a defensive battle at Snow Canyon, the Flyers and Warriors played through both halves of regulation in a scoreless tie. Then, Dixie’s Denrick Tahual scored the golden goal in overtime, putting both teams into a tie for second place in the Region 9 standings with identical 3-1 region records, 3-2 overall.

Desert Hills 6, Pine View 0

At Pine View, the Desert Hills Thunder scored twice in the first half and added four more goals in the second half to rout the Panthers. Alexis Gonzales had a pair of goals, while teammate Bridger Heaton added a goal and two assists.

Crimson Cliffs 5, Canyon View 0

At Crimson Cliffs, the Mustangs saw five different players score in a shutout win over the Canyon View Falcons. The Mustangs are now alone in first place in the Region 9 standings with a 4-0 record, 6-1 overall.

Last Friday’s games

Dixie 7, Hurricane 0

At Hurricane, Dixie’s Jorge Quintero scored four goals and added an assist, while teammate Rene Bernal added a brace of goals as the Flyers rolled to a 7-0 shutout over the Tigers.

Cedar 7, Pine View 0

At Cedar, the Reds scored a goal in the opening two minutes of the game and never looked back, eventually defeating Pine View 7-0. Tristan Yapi scored four goals for Cedar, while Mason Palmer added two.

Crimson Cliffs 2, Desert Hills 0

At Crimson Cliffs, the Mustangs shut out the Desert Hills Thunder 2-0, with Camden Squires and Tyler Moon each scoring a goal.

Snow Canyon 7, Canyon View 1

Snow Canyon boys soccer at Canyon View, Cedar City, Utah, March 19, 2021 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

At Canyon View, the Snow Canyon Warriors broke open a tight game at halftime, scoring five more goals in the second half to defeat the Falcons 7-1. Jacob Wittwer’s hat trick accounted for three of Snow Canyon’s goals, while teammate Sanders Esplin recorded six assists.

Thursday’s schedule (March 25)

  • Snow Canyon at Pine View, 7 p.m.

Friday’s schedule (March 26)

  • Dixie at Canyon View, 4 p.m.
  • Desert Hills at Cedar, 4 p.m.
  • Crimson Cliffs at Hurricane, 7 p.m.

Region 9 boys soccer standings, as of March 24

  1. Crimson Cliffs 4-0 (6-1)
  2. (tie) Snow Canyon 3-1 (3-2)
  3. (tie) Dixie 3-1 (3-2)
  4. (tie) Desert Hills 2-2 (2-3)
  5. (tie) Hurricane 2-2 (2-3)
  6. (tie) Canyon View 1-3 (1-3)
  7. (tie) Cedar 1-3 (2-4)
  8. Pine View 0-4 (1-5)

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2021, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jeff Richards, a native of Salt Lake City with family roots in Panguitch, lived in Moab for 20 years before joining St. George News in 2017. Jeff is a longtime journalist and secondary school teacher. He and his wife Penny are the parents of five daughters. They also have three young grandsons. Jeff and his family enjoy swimming, camping, sightseeing, reading, and taking pictures.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @stgnews@moabjeff@stgnewssports

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