4A BOYS: Gonzalez, Longhorns return to title match

RENO — The first time Jorge Gonzalez got the ball past Galena goalkeeper Alan Solano, the Legacy forward breathed a sigh of relief. The second time, he knew his team was going to its second consecutive Class 4A boys soccer state championship game.

Gonzalez scored the game’s first goal and the backbreaking third goal to lead the defending champion Longhorns to a 4-0 win over Galena in a state semifinal Friday at Damonte Ranch.

The Longhorns (18-1-2) face Hug in the state final at noon Saturday.

Gonzalez’s first shot in the 36th minute hit the post and bounced off Solano into the net to give the Longhorns a 1-0 lead after a sluggish first half.

“It’s actually a big relief knowing that you’re up after a tough first half,” Gonzalez said. “It hit the post and the goalie dove a little bit late and it hit his back and went in.”

Legacy coach Jose Gomez said the Longhorns were struggling until Gonzalez’s goal gave them some life.

“Very groggy the first half, I wasn’t used to seeing that, but we held our ground, we didn’t give up any goals and got the first one,” Gomez said. “Once you get the first one it helps you relax a little bit.”

Legacy’s defense kept the ball away from goalkeeper Ramon Carvajal, whose only tough save came when he punched a shot over the goal in the final minute.

Antonio Velazquez eluded two defenders left of the net and sent a low shot past Solano for a 2-0 lead in the 61st minute. Nine minutes later, Gonzalez beat Solano again for a 3-0 lead.

“At that play, I thought we had a spot in the state final,” Gonzalez said. “It was just a relief for me, my team and my coach. My team has put in the work to be one of the best ones in the state.”

And after not recognizing what he saw from his team in the first 40 minutes, Gomez said his team looked like champions in the second 40.

“We played our game, which is possession and control, and you saw how we finished off that game,” he said. “It’s soccer, beautiful soccer.”

Hug 3, Eldorado 2 — The first trip to the state tournament in 17 years ended in heartbreak for the Sundevils.

Hug’s Armando Villanueva Ramos scored on a direct free kick from 22 yards out in the seventh minute of overtime to give the Hawks a win over Eldorado (18-3-1) in the other semifinal.

“Just because this was a goal they set at the beginning of the season, it’s a tough way to go out,” Eldorado coach Gerald Pentsil said. “They knew it had been a while and they were trying to carry the banner for Eldorado, and they did even though we didn’t finish like we wanted to finish.”

Eldorado’s Edgar Duran converted a penalty kick in the 72nd minute that put the Sundevils ahead 2-1, but Hug tied the game in the 77th minute. A shot by Rodrigo Magallanes bounced off a defender and right back to Magallanes, who buried the rebound.

Eldorado missed several chances, including one header that sailed wide and another that barely went over the crossbar, while Hug goalie Francisco Macias made two difficult saves in overtime.

”We felt we had the chances, we just didn’t covert,” Pentsil said. “We were getting what we were looking for, but the final touch wasn’t there.”