BCHS boys soccer knocked out of regional playoffs by Denair
Feb. 28—There would be no late-game magic for the Bakersfield Christian boys soccer team Tuesday night, simply because its matchup with Denair was decided far too early.
The Coyotes struck first on a low line drive from Goliath Padilla 10 minutes in, and then Angel Sanchez seized on a defensive miscue and volleyed in an immediate second goal less than a minute later, breaking open the game and setting the tone for what became a 5-0 Denair victory.
The visitors from the Sac-Joaquin Section seemed undeterred by the rainy conditions, while the Eagles' defense struggled with sloppy errors on an increasingly sloppy field.
The result was a first-round elimination for BCHS in Division V of the NorCal Regional Boys Soccer Championships. It came just four days after the school rallied in a chaotic second half to top Oakhurst-Yosemite 3-2 for a Division VI section title. That had followed up a Jack Doss golden-goal winner in the final overtime period against Strathmore in the semifinals on Feb. 21 and a 3-2 win against Fresno Christian in the opening round, as the Eagles got hot at the right time following an up-and-down regular season.
Tuesday night, however, Denair didn't even give BCHS a chance to get back into the game. Tim Hernandez and Diego Padilla scored off corner kicks on either side of the halftime whistle, both times getting favorable bounces on low shots at the near post, and then Jose Valle Villa rammed in the Coyotes' fifth from a goalmouth scrum in the final moments.
Denair came to Bakersfield as the Division VI champion from the Sac-Joaquin Section, a third-place team in the hotly contested Southern League that outscored its three playoff opponents 13-1, but ended up with a No. 7 seed in the regionals and a date in Bakersfield.
Despite drawing the second-seeded Eagles, the Coyotes continued their dominant form from the opening moments of Tuesday's game, led by the consistent playmaking upfront of the senior Sanchez. In the sixth minute, though, it was Hernandez who nearly put them up right away when he took possession after a deflection and sent a hard-hit shot goalward. But it was low and right to BCHS goalie Aidan Irwin. Irwin was tested in net all day, beginning with the pair of goals Denair scored moments later.
The Eagles had their best chance to make it a game in the 19th minute, when sophomore midfielder Ethan Watson drove a volley off an attempted headed clearance from the Coyotes. The shot bounced off Denair goalie Sergio Torres to his left and nearly drifted into the goal, but Torres was able to tap it out with one hand before it was too late.
From then on, it was practically all Denair for the remaining 70 minutes. Sanchez nearly had two more goals right away. He first appeared to outmuscle Kyle Bloemhof for a ball and score, but it was ruled a foul; then, he intercepted an attempted clearance but Irwin blocked his shot with an impressive kick-save.
Frustration began to bubble to the surface for the Eagles in the second half, as they accrued a trio of yellow cards while the Coyotes added their pair of set-piece goals.
In the 63rd minute, BCHS defender Kolton Thorson got his head to a long throw-in. The soft-hit effort was bobbled but eventually corralled by Torres.
The win sends Denair to No. 3 Gridley, a 2-0 winner over Stockton-Venture Academy, for a regional semifinal Thursday. BCHS finishes the year at 12-14-3 with a section title in hand.
Reporter Henry Greenstein can be reached at 661-395-7374. Follow him on Twitter: @HenryGreenstein.
