Sunrise Mountain, the Lake League's top seed, scored twice in stoppage time to pull away from Cimarron-Memorial for a 4-1 victory. The Miners led 2-0 at halftime on goals from senior forward Victor Requenez-Cisneros and Dylan Acosta, but Cimarron-Memorial's Gianni Parada cut the deficit to 2-1 with a long free kick just before the break. Goalkeeper Jesus Morales made two key saves late in the second half before Juan Rodriguez and Requenez-Cisneros, on a penalty kick, scored in stoppage time to seal the win.
"It feels good. We put in a lot of dedication in that since were were state champs from last year," Requenez-Cisneros said. "We knew that every team is going to give it their all to make us lose. But we stood our ground and took advantage of it." Coach Anthony Munoz said the team set a goal from the start to return to the final and chase a fourth program title.
In the other semifinal, Chaparral, the Lake League's No. 4 seed, edged Green Valley 2-1 in overtime. Skander Herrera gave the Cowboys a first-half lead, but Green Valley's Amilcar Cipili forced extra time with a header in the final moments of stoppage time. Chaparral advanced to the title game for the first time since the players joined the varsity squad.
"It's a surreal feeling," Chaparral coach Alex Ruiz said. "It's something that we've dreamed about not only since the season started but since these boys got into high school, ever since they got on the varsity squad."
Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Original reporting: Las Vegas Review-Journal →
English (US)·