Blindsiding Bayfield with an, um, ‘back’-side redirect of senior regular Courtney Southall’s 58th-minute corner, sophomore reserve Sam Lizzio-Cammack in all likelihood played Ridgway into the upcoming 2023 CHSAA Class 2A Girls’ Soccer State Tournament.
She didn’t, however, play opposing Bayfield completely out of the larger Class 3A playoff picture, though if the Wolverines’ nonleague match Friday wasn’t must-win enough, it left the squad with no choice but to beat 4A Grand Junction Central on Saturday. And perhaps hope a few other teams above themselves in the CHSAA Selection & Seeding Index would take a tumble before Selection Sunday.
Results against CHS – defeated 1-0 Friday at Durango in 4A/5A Southwestern play – were unavailable at press time.
Positioned in such a way as to do little more than deny BHS goalkeeper Kaydence Hunter a clear look at Southall’s corner, but then hit in the back by it, Lizzio-Cammack inadvertently deflected the kick into Bayfield’s net at Hunter’s front post.
Increasing the guests’ advantage to 2-0 during a clash in which chances were created often, but finishes hard to earn – and nonexistent throughout a scoreless first half – the bizarre goal threatened to negate any Index-affecting gains Bayfield had made on Thursday in a 5-1 win at Ignacio.
BHS sophomore Sydney Rey, who’d posted a first-half hat trick then added a 47th-minute score at IHS Field on Thursday, responded by polishing off junior Preslie Wagner’s 68th-minute shot (a conventional Wagner cross had set up Rey’s fourth strike in Ignacio) from near the elbow of RHS’ 18-yard box, which somehow slipped behind goalie Reese Weber.
The Demons, however, slammed shut the window of opportunity not long before the final whistle when senior standout Maizy Gordon scored unassisted to cap a 3-1 victory inside Wolverine Country Stadium. Wagner had threatened to level the match at 2-2 not a full minute before, but right-footed a running rip, set up by Rey, over Weber’s crossbar.
And after neither Ridgway (7-5-1 overall, 4-2-0 2A Intermountain-South) nor Bayfield (7-6, 4-2 3A Southwestern) broke through before intermission as Hunter and Weber each logged four saves, the visitors did so early in the second half.
And whereas IHS – which got a first-half goal from senior Laci Brunson on Senior Night, but was denied a second when a diving Hunter robbed senior Harmony Reynolds in the 38th minute – had somehow failed to profit from three shining chances immediately after the midway pause, RHS resumed play as the aggressors and scored on their third try.
Initially passed the ball by Gordon, sophomore Maddie Miller then passed ahead to freshman Addy Gardiner for a 45th-minute strike putting the Wolverines on notice.
But after it was all over, all wasn’t lost for Bayfield. As more and more outcomes were reported Friday night, BHS actually stood No. 33 in the Index (league champion Montezuma-Cortez checked in at No. 28), right on the bubble for the 32-team state tournament. Ridgway, meanwhile, rose one spot to No. 13 in 2A, right behind rival Telluride – which the Demons had defeated, 1-0 in double-overtime, at THS the previous afternoon.
And while Bayfield hosted Central (9-5, 4-4 4A/5A SWL), Ignacio (0-14, 0-5 Intermountain-South) was to end a trying campaign hosting league champ Crested Butte (8-6, 4-1), to which runner-up RHS lost twice this spring.
Brunson, Reynolds, Alexis Ortiz, Faye Hackett, Trinity Crane, Anaya Lucero, Autumn Sage, Sierra Red and goalie Trinity Strohl were to suit up for the last time as Bobcats against CBCS. “I’m losing half my team!” head coach Alisha Gullion said following IHS’ match versus BHS.
