The curtain closed on the Parry McCluer High School coed soccer season with a 18-0 road loss to Galax in the Region 1C quarterfinals last Wednesday.
The Fighting Blues, fielding a team for the first time in four years, finished with a record of 0-10-0, going 0-4-0 in the Pioneer District.
Galax (14-4-2), the top seed from the Mountain Empire District, advanced to the Region 1C semifinals and was scheduled to play at Pioneer District champion Eastern Montgomery (11-8-0 overall, 4-0-0 district) on Monday.
Reviewing the quarterfinal game, PM head coach Chuck Rice said it “was a real learning experience for our team. Galax was really talented, well coached and played together as a team.” Rice noted that the Maroon Tide had 22 players, while the Blues had just 12.
Galax scored three goals in the first 15 minutes of the first half. “Our defense was not used to them and had difficulty covering the faster Galax squad,” said Rice.
The Maroon Tide led 10-0 at halftime. In the second half, Galax kept the pressure on with very quick transitions to the goal. The Maroon Tide scored eight more goals, and the game ended with 20 minutes left in regulation due to the mercy rule, which ends the game when a team is leading by eight goals or more.
PM freshman Cameron Glass did his best to stop the Maroon Tide’s shot attempts, making 15 saves.
The Blues, who had mostly freshmen, three sophomores and a junior, have graduated one senior: forward Gabe Osorio. The cocaptain has played soccer since little league and was asked to join Utah’s Real Salt Lake’s Major League Soccer Youth League. Rice said Osorio “was a great leader, mentor and player for us. He helped some of our less experienced players during the season in practice and even after practice. He will be missed not just on the field but for his leadership, character and heart for the game and our team.”
PM’s other co-captain was freshman midfielder Izzy Ramsey, while Xenia Guevara was their only junior.
Reviewing his team’s progress this season, Rice said, “I am very proud of this team, even though we did not break into the win column this season. We really did not have a full team until the first week in April, well into the soccer season.” Due to the late start, the Blues played about half as many games as most teams.
Rice expressed his gratitude for his assistant coach, Lily Eskelsen, “for the way she coached our players in their skills and being a great example of integrity, character and a true leader on the field and in the classroom.”
The PM coach also thanked PM athletic director Adam Haynes, principal Todd Jones, Buena Vista Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Heather Ault and Darrell Plogger and his staff from the Rockbridge Area Recreation Organization. “Without them, we would not have been able to play or have a team this season,” said Rice.
Looking ahead, Rice said, “I believe the future is bright for our program with so much young talent coming back and many younger players coming up in the future.”
