Coaches constantly preach ‘play until the whistle.’
Bayfield boys soccer player Zach Hufnagel remembered that at precisely the right moment Tuesday afternoon when he made visiting Kirtland Central pay after an expected whistle never sounded.
With the Broncos and even some of his Bayfield teammates pausing just inside KCHS’ 18-yard box after witnessing an apparent handball violation, Hufnagel didn’t wait to see if a penalty kick would be awarded; he instead stepped to the ball and dribbled it nearer to KCHS’ net as surprised goalkeeper Nathan Tom hesitated to leave his line.
Before most realized what was happening, Hufnagel shot the ball past Tom for a 71st-minute score increasing the Wolverines’ lead to 5-1, and Kirtland Central – facing opposition for just the third time to date in 2024 – failed to respond within the few remaining minutes.
Bayfield improved to 4-2 with the win while Kirkland fell to 0-3 with the loss.
Junior Tauer Crotty opened the scoring just eight minutes in, via a PK awarded after he was fouled inside the guests’ 18 by Bronco junior Brandon Lacy, and junior Ayden Casillas sent Bayfield into halftime up 2-0 after netting in the 39th. Shortly after play resumed, he struck again in the 43rd, hinting that the hyped home side was poised to race away to a lopsided victory.
KCHS junior Angel Acosta curbed some of that enthusiasm, however, taking a Lacy pass and beating drawn-out goalie Orion Botsford in the 48th.
Acosta then had an opportunity to chop BHS’ lead down to just a goal, but couldn’t put a 57th-minute free kick – resulting from a Hufnagel foul – on frame. Perhaps sensing that Bayfield’s scoreboard advantage wasn’t as strong as it once appeared, Casillas promptly scored a reassuring goal in the 59th after receiving a short pass from freshman Colton Casillas.
After five consecutive home matches, in which they posted a 3-2 record, the Wolverines were to continue nonleague work Thursday evening at Manitou Springs – with the Mustangs (4-0-1, 0-0-0 3A Tri-Peaks) coming in wanting a better result than their 1-1 draw on the 10th in Colorado Springs at Thomas MacLaren.
Kirtland Central was slated to compete at Rehoboth Christian’s 9/12-14 Christian Jaquez Memorial Tournament.
