It took a highlight-reel play Thursday evening to deny a highlight-reel player.
One of just three seniors on Grand Junction Central’s roster, and one of only two active for the nonleague match inside Wolverine Country Stadium, goalkeeper Alejandro Jimenez, had to make his best guess as to where Bayfield freshman standout Ayden Casillas would direct a penalty kick late in the second (and last) 10-minute overtime session.
And with a full-extension dive low and to his left, Jimenez incredibly smacked aside Casillas’ corner-targeting attempt.
A minute later, the visiting Warriors had their own opportunity to steal victory. But after gaining just enough separation from BHS defender Shae Railsback, sophomore midfielder Oscar Fuentes shot high off the crossbar above goalie Kaedon Rademacher. The varsity boys’ contest to end in a 1-1 draw after 100 official minutes of soccer.
Beaten five-hole by Central soph Adrian Soto-Mendoza in the fourth minute of play, Rademacher recomposed himself to make – unofficially – 12 saves as Bayfield, still 1-1-0 in 3A Southwestern League play, dipped to 6-2-2 overall.
Jimenez was hit with a 56th-minute yellow card for essentially baiting BHS players into making contact with him. Wolverine Gavin Larson would, on the collision with the goalie, also be booked with a caution – as Jimenez regularly waited until the last possible moment to scoop a ball. He unofficially totaled seven stops for CHS (2-6-1, 0-4-0 4A SWL).
Substitute Randy Moreno Zamora, Central’s other suited senior, saw about two minutes in net before Jimenez returned.
Running onto a pass into space from senior Shaw Foster, Casillas cashed a 29th-minute shot over Jimenez from roughly 25 yards out to initially level the score, but neither side managed to break through after intermission. Led by Fuentes and sophomore mid Angel Moreno in particular, Central were certainly the aggressors during the second 40-minute half and the first OT, but BHS’ defense, anchored by Railsback and senior Andres “Andy” Monger, never broke.
BHS had a chance to win during the first overtime. Foster, with a teammate in close support and ready to pounce, nearly toe-tapped a ball through Jimenez’s gloves before Jimenez could secure it. Jimenez, however, slowed the ball just enough to pivot and smother the play.
Becoming more problematic for Bayfield as the match wore on, Moreno nearly ended the match early in the second OT, but his shot from beyond 30 yards tagged the crossbar and went safely out of play.
The Wolverines will next see action Tuesday when they resume league work at Alamosa. BHS will then make a most-crucial trip to Pagosa Springs on Friday.
G.J. Central, meanwhile, was to play at Montezuma-Cortez (1-6, 1-2 3A SWL) on Friday (Oct. 7), then resume 4A SWL work at 1 p.m. Saturday at Durango (12-0, 5-0), again the classification’s No. 1 ranked team in the CHSAANow.com poll.
