Making complete amends for his accidental own-goal benefiting opposing Bloomfield in Bayfield’s season-opening road win, junior Kyle Russell outleapt two Aztec Tigers to head in the final goal of a thorough, though sometimes sloppy, victory Tuesday evening inside Wolverine Country Stadium.
Sporting a wide, relieved grin afterward, Russell’s finish of a perfect corner – played in from the AHS keeper’s right by junior Caleb Beck – came in the 72nd minute, enacting Colorado’s 10-goal mercy rule and capping off an 11-1 conquest. His score came roughly five minutes after junior Caden Ross managed to head in junior Zach Hufnagel’s corner served in from the same spot and record his own first-ever goal, varsity or otherwise.
In the early goings, however, neither side could find the back of the enemy’s net, despite the Wolverines (2-0 overall) generating more chances. That all changed in the 11th minute, when BHS junior Riley Hanson went low and left (assisted by senior Hunter Ferrell) of the goalie for a 1-0 lead which swelled to 6-0 before halftime.
Junior Ayden Casillas struck in the 18th, assisted by junior Tauer Crotty, and junior Wyatt Larson marked in the 32nd, aided by Casillas. Crotty then scored in the 34th and Casillas followed in the 39th, then completed his hat trick (aided by Larson) during the first minute of stoppage time.
After changing goalies during intermission, Aztec (1-2 overall) denied Bayfield junior keeper Orion Botsford a shutout when eighth-grader Mylz Gee scored in the 43rd minute – answering Hufnagel’s 41st-minute goal assisted by junior Brayden Hoffman.
Having clanged a 51st-minute attempt off the crossbar, Casillas netted his next try in the 52nd, increasing the Wolverines’ lead to 8-1. And just a few seconds later the scoreboard showed 9-1 after Casillas stole a 53rd-minute pass inside AHS’ 18 and stylishly zipped a short-side shot past the stunned Tiger goalie.
Bayfield will next host Grand Junction Central (0-1, 0-1 4A/5A Southwestern) on Friday, then welcomes Basalt the next morning at 10 a.m.
Aztec, meanwhile, will next journey to Los Alamos, N.M., to compete on Friday and Saturday in LAHS’ 27th Annual Louie Cernicek Tournament. AHS is scheduled to first face Clovis (2-1) at noon.
