STATE CHAMPS: Carson beats Wooster for title

RENO — Abel Sanchez was just an infant when Carson High’s boys soccer team won its last state title back in 1998.

And, thanks to Sanchez’s two goals, the second coming in the third minute of overtime, the Carson Senators won their third NIAA Division I state title, knocking off Wooster, 2-1, Saturday afternoon at North Valleys High School.

Carson won its first state soccer championship back in 1994, and got its second in 1998. This one wasn’t easy. Despite playing a man short for nearly 50 minutes, Wooster sent the game into overtime by scoring in the final minute of regulation.

“You don’t get anything for free,” Carson head coach Michael Alvarez said. “You have to work for it. That’s what I told the team in the small intermission (before overtime). Wooster is a tremendous team. They do so many things right. For us to compete with them, we have to be able to convert our opportunities.

“I thought we could (have a chance to win state). This is a team that had a lot of chemistry. They played well together. We didn’t have a star. We were evenly balanced.”

The opportunities Alvarez referred to were infrequent. Wooster outshot Carson, 19-6, and like Monday’s regional win, the Senators were opportunistic.

Guillermo Hernandez got off a hard shot in the second minute of overtime Wooster keeper Max Barranca went down low to corral.

Moments later, opportunity knocked, and Sanchez answered.

Alex Gonzalez was tripped up just outside the penalty box, earning his team a direct free kick. Hernandez and Sanchez were both lined up next to the ball, and just like in the first half, Hernandez started toward the ball and gave way to Sanchez, who blasted it into the upper left-hand corner of the net.

Wooster players fell to their knees in anguish and disbelief, while the Senators rejoiced and danced around the field. You can’t blame them. This celebration was 17 years in the making.

“The goalie was on the right, so I was aiming for the left,” Sanchez said through a translator (coach Alvarez). “It was the same on the first one.”

Alvarez was impressed with Sanchez’s effort.

“I don’t think the Wooster goalie was bothered by the movement around the ball (between Hernandez and Abel),” the CHS coach said. “The wall is supposed to be the stop gap, but Abel was able to curve the ball over the wall. For Abel to do it not once, but twice, was incredible.”

What was incredible, though not surprising, was the fact the Colts were able to play a man short and still be the more aggressive offensive team. Wooster senior Raul Venegas was handed a red card with eight minutes left in the first half after Sanchez was pulled down in the box.

“They (Wooster) are a hard working team,” CHS defender Peter Garrett said. “I think we had more confidence after the red card.”

“I have a lot of respect for Wooster,” CHS keeper Efren Ramirez said. “They only had 10 men and they played well. I was worried.”

Carson had a chance to take a 2-0 lead in the 43rd minute, but Sanchez’s direct free kick glanced off the left upright. It was the best opportunity Carson would have in regulation.

In the 47th minute, Wooster made a good run, but Ramirez, who finished with seven saves, came in to cover up the ball. In the 60th minute, Sebastian Martinez took a header off a corner kick Ramirez saved. Two minutes later, Martinez had another opportunity to score, but was unable to convert.

In the 76th minute, Martinez sent a ball into the goal area, and Ramirez was able to tip it over the crossbar.

Approximately two minutes later, Sal Jimenez got past Brian Llamas and shot the ball past Ramirez.

“Both of their forwards (got downfield) and one of them chipped it past Brian,” Garrett said. “I should have been there. I thought it was off sides.”

“I don’t know if it deflected off Brian or not,” Ramirez said. “I know the ball changed direction.”

Despite the goal late in regulation, the Carson defense was big when it counted. The crew of Garrett, Christian Martinez, Osvaldo Gomez and Guillermo Perez-Morris protected Ramirez well. Wooster got several scoring chances off loose balls which were blocked by CHS defenders.

“I can’t say enough great things about the defense,” Alvarez said. “I thought Efren played well. The defense kept us in the game.”