Match winner in final minutes sends Modesto boys soccer to D-1 second round
The Modesto High boys soccer team needed all 80 minutes to win Tuesday night’s Sac-Joaquin Section Division I opener against Lincoln of Stockton.
With the match tied at 2-2 heading into the final minutes, one of the Panthers’ many second half chances connected and their journey back to the Division I section title match started with a 3-2 win.
“The plan was for us to be more aggressive in the second half,” said Modesto coach Claudio Alvarez. “We were able to secure that goal … but they had a great team with great players and they really gave us a run for our money.”
The fourth-seeded Panthers earned a spot in last season’s Division I section championship game and while they took lessons from the 5-0 loss to Whitney, Alvarez has the team locked in on the teams they will play this year.
“We try to remain humble,” he said. “Every year is a different year and every game is a different game. That’s the beauty of this game. … We’re just trying to take it one game at a time and stay focused and we’ll see how far we can go.”
The Trojans scored less than five minutes into the match but the Panthers answered back. Alexis Ruiz and Alexis Luna scored two goals to give Modesto a 2-1 first half lead.
Lincoln continued to put pressure on the Modesto defense, drawing a foul in the penalty area. After a successful penalty kick, the teams finished the first 40 minutes tied, 2-2.
“It’s a little hard,” Luna said, “You’re on top, then the next thing you know they get a penalty and it completely changes your attitude. But I think what’s strong about us this year is our mentality to keep pushing through.”
Ruiz echoed his teammates’ thoughts: “Coach gave us some words at halftime saying that we still had 40 minutes left to play, so we took that and we did our thing.”
The Panthers dominated possession in the second half, getting multiple chances at goal but could not put one away.
Until late in the period.
Modesto avoided overtime on a goal from Brian Valenzuela Cabello with under 10 minutes remaining.
“During the season, we had chances but we didn’t convert,” Alvarez said. “So we’ve been working on that … and tonight, we got lucky.”
Said Luna: “It was relieving knowing we were one goal ahead, but we didn’t calm down. You can lose the game at any minute, but it helped us relax the ball more and not have the pressure to go up and score more. It was more controlling the game and passing the ball around.”
The Panthers host No. 5 Oak Ridge at 6 p.m. Thursday at Downey High.
Boys soccer
Central Valley 1, Gregori 0: Alexis Cervantes scored the winning goal in the 25th minute against the Jaguars. No. 6 Central Valley advances to the Division I quarterfinals, where it hosts No. 14 McClatchy Thursday.
Sheldon 2, Enochs 1: The Eagles trailed 2-0 at the half and could score only once in the final 40 minutes.
Davis 2, Pitman 1: Jon Fregoso scored one goal and Carlos Varela finished with a goal and one assist as the No. 10 Spartans upset seven seed Pitman. Davis advances to play second seed Granite Bay in the Division II quarterfinals.
Patterson 3, Sierra 2: The Tigers’ road back to the section championship match began with a narrow victory in the Division III first round. Luis Castro, Reyes Juarez and Jose Brambila each scored while Matthew Aldana finished with a pair of assists. Patterson faces No. 2 Golden Valley on Thursday.
Golden Valley 7, Oakdale 0: The Mustangs allowed three goals in the first half and four in the second of their first round match-up against the second-seeded Cougars.
Lathrop 3, Orestimba 2: The Warriors took a 2-0 lead into halftime but surrendered three unanswered second half goals as the Spartans won the Division IV opener.
Venture Academy 2, Hughson 1: After a 1-1 halftime tie, the Huskies surrendered a second-half goal, falling to the Mustangs in the opening round of the Division V playoffs.
Sonora 4, Escalon 1: The Cougars were unable to win their first-round match against the Wildcats. Their season ends with 11 wins.
Riverbank 2, Calaveras 1: The Bruins won their 15th game of the season. They scored the winning goal in the second half after a 1-1 halftime tie. Riverbank hosts Sonora on Wednesday for a spot in the Division V championship.
Boys basketball
Pitman 53, Pleasant Grove 52: The Pride won their third straight game by fewer than five points in Tuesday’s Division I play-in game. They earn the No. 16 seed and travel to No. 1 Folsom on Wednesday.
Rocklin 76, Turlock 67: After trailing by 18 points at halftime, the Bulldogs cut the Thunder lead to just three with five and a half minutes left in the fourth quarter of their Division I play-in game. Rocklin made free throws late to seal the win. The Bulldogs finish with a 16-13 record.
Patterson 76, Lodi 69: The Tigers scored 47 second half points en route to a Division III play-in win. They travel to top seed Rio Americano as the No. 16 team.
Riverbank 68, Gustine 38: The Bruins won their second straight game, beating Gustine in the Division IV play-in. They travel to Stockton to play No. 2 Venture Academy on Wednesday.
Girls basketball
Monterey Trail 55, Gregori 37: CCAL champion Gregori saw its season end Tuesday night in an 18-point loss to seven seed Monterey Trail. The Jaguars finish with a 20-9 record. It is their first 20-win season since 2012-13
St. Mary’s 62, Turlock 14: After a thrilling play-in win over McNair on Monday, the Bulldogs fell to the state’s 11th ranked team in the first round of the Division I playoffs.
Grant 60, Patterson 47: The Tigers could not make a comeback, falling in the first round of the Division II playoffs. Patterson finished the season with a 20-8 record.
Orestimba 38, Argonaut 37: Grace McCauley led a balanced scoring effort with 11 points in the eighth-seeded Warriors’ narrow first round win. They travel to No. 1 Colfax Thursday.
Hughson 65, Sutter 32: The Trans-Valley League co-champions earned a first round win over Sutter. Hughson advances to the second round where it meets fourth seed Marrysville.
Marysville 60, Ripon 15: Ripon finished the season Tuesday night with an 11-16 record. Ripon gave up 36 combined points to Marysville senior Sophia Rogers and sophomore Demi Boykin.
Riverbank 73, Waterford 27: The Bruins secured their 24th victory this season with Tuesday’s first-round playoff win. Sophomore Taylor Macias led the team with 24 points and tied with Livi Fernandez and Chancis Gamez collecting a team-high four steals. They host No. 6 Liberty Ranch Thursday at 7 p.m.
Escalon 58, Capital Christian 44: Junior Macie Vickers scored 27 points to lead the Cougars in a first round upset of seventh seed Capital Christian. No. 10 Escalon travels to second seed Calaveras Thursday.
Ripon Christian 45, Westlake Charter 22: The Knights advanced to the second round of the Division V playoffs after a win over the Explorers. Maddie Yonker led Ripon Christian with 19 points.
Big Valley Christian 44, Aspire Langston Hughes Academy 17: The Lions opened the game on a 12-0 run and scored 19 third quarter points to help secure a first-round playoff win. They play CCAA opponent Millennium on Thursday.
This story was originally published February 15, 2023 at 11:09 AM.
