Showing faith in young Tegan Whiteskunk, Montezuma-Cortez head soccer coach Sean Fitzgerald left the freshman in net Tuesday afternoon even after Bayfield senior Finlay Marshall took junior William Reyes' pass and split the goalkeeper's hands with a 30th-minute zinger.
But when speedy junior Marcus Isiordia wasted almost no time in cashing classmate Tilden Berriman's assist barely two minutes later, the proverbial writing was on the wall for not only Whiteskunk but the visiting Panthers, who would ultimately lose 3-2 and drop both ends of the teams' 2016 home-and-home. Whiteskunk was relieved in the 35th for fellow frosh Davian Robinson.
M-CHS freshman reserve Alden Adams denied BHS senior Austin Bushnell a shutout with his strike in the 55th, but despite the 3A Intermountain League match becoming more and more physical-Panther senior Jesus Ruiz was shown a yellow card in the 57th and Isiordia likewise in the 59th-the Wolverines maintained before an appreciative, cold-resistant crowd.
Marshall drilled junior Colton Fine's perfect set-up past Robinson in the 75th to practically secure the Homecoming Week victory.
All told, BHS put nine shots on goal, and unofficially out-shot M-CHS 19-10.
Montezuma-Cortez senior Manuel Martinez, who netted 17 of the Panthers' 25 goals in 2015, beat Bushnell (eight saves) in the 77th to tighten the margin, but the guests dropped their third straight road date and slid to 1-9-0 overall, 0-8-0 IML.
Bayfield, meanwhile, climbed to 4-4-2 and 3-4-1, respectively, entering tomorrow's 11 a.m. kickoff at Wolverine Country Stadium versus Alamosa-which enters today's trip to M-CHS standing a similar 4-5-1, 4-4-1.
