SUNSET BOYS SOCCER: Sherwood, Panthers rally for title

Coming from behind has not been a strength of the Palo Verde boys soccer team this season.

But the Panthers picked a fine time to stage a rally on Saturday afternoon.

Nolan Sherwood scored the tying goal in the final minute of regulation and put home the winner three minutes into the second overtime to lift Palo Verde to a 2-1 victory over Cimarron-Memorial in the Sunset Region final at Heritage Park.

It is the second straight region title for the Panthers (15-5-2), who had never gotten past the second round of the playoffs until last season. Palo Verde will meet an opponent to be determined at 4 p.m. Friday at Heritage Park in the Division I state tournament.

Cimarron (15-4-2) takes on Sunrise Region runner-up Foothill (19-4) in the state play-in game at 4 p.m. Monday at Clark.

“I think there’s a level of expectation that we believe we can do it now that we’ve done it once, even though it’s a different group by and large,” first-year Palo Verde coach Garry Shackley said. “We could never get over that hurdle before — bit of a mental barrier, I think — but we’ve got over that now, and we had the belief right through to the end.

“Although it was close, we like to entertain.”

Both teams appeared worn down in the overtime until the Panthers broke through thanks in part to Austin Manthey. The senior midfielder created several chances in the second half and overtime with his long throw-ins, and his final heave fell right to Sherwood in the penalty area.

Sherwood took one touch and fired a left-footed shot past Cimarron goalkeeper Richard Crews, setting off a huge celebration on the Panthers’ sideline.

“It’s a weapon you want to use,” Shackley said of Manthey’s throw-ins. “Not every team has it. I think once we stopped throwing it at the goalkeeper so he could catch it, it became a little more dangerous.”

Sherwood knotted the score at 1-1 on what was essentially the final kick of regulation. The Panthers’ leading scorer made a long run before being closed down near the top of the 18-yard box. Sherwood’s shot was blocked by a Cimarron defender, but that created top spin on the ball, and it looped over Crews’ outstretched arms.

“I just kept pushing through, tried hard and never gave up,” Sherwood said. “And it came out in my favor.”

The Spartans had the better chances in a scoreless first half before taking the lead in the 50th minute. Omar Garcia intercepted a clearance after a Cimarron corner kick and found Garrick Quackenbush, who managed to stay onside before ripping a shot past Palo Verde goalkeeper Nishesh Yadav.

“I felt like that game, all we had to do was stay composed and maintain, and they have a ball that gets some stinky English on it and goes in,” Cimarron coach Mark Bailey said. “There’s nothing we could do about it.”