PHOTOS: Boys soccer prevails against Cristo Rey St. Viator
Pahrump Valley High School sophomore midfielder Randall Pangilinan noticed a weakness in his opponents’ defense that proved to be a deciding factor for the Trojans last Thursday in North Las Vegas.
Tied at 1-1 with Cristo Rey St. Viator in the 71st minute, Pangilinan approached head coach Andrew Norton with a strong suggestion to change the team’s offensive player formations.
As a result of the shift, senior defender Henry Nunez Manzo was able to get a touch pass off to sophomore midfielder Roberto Gonzalez, who then notched it in past the diving Cristo goalkeeper to give the Trojans a go-ahead 2-1 lead.
In turn, the Trojans captured their first season and league wins of the year as the Royals could not sustain the sheer amount of substitutions available against them.
“We made that change purely based off his suggestion, and it paid off in a big way,” Norton said. “We moved some of our stronger players that are ball controllers that we originally had up front and moved them back toward the center to hold that control. We then moved some of our speed up front, so as they were getting tired, we could send it through.”
Battling temperatures nearing 110 degrees, player fatigue played a huge role in both sides’ stamina.
In the 32nd minute of play, Cristo Rey St. Viator took a 1-0 lead after launching a shot from the right flank that just extended past the outstretched fingers of Trojan goalkeeper Cayden Cowley. Cowley was a force to be reckoned with, as the senior recorded six saves.
The Trojans roared back quickly in response to the Royals’ goal with one of their own by none other than sophomore midfielder Roberto Gonzalez.
“I got the speed so I could just catch up to the body and send it through,” Gonzalez said. “I just look for the open space, and then if they were marking me, I would just say send it through.”
Three minutes later, Gonzalez tied the game with a shot from the right flank that just found the back left of the net following an assist from junior Ryan Nunez Manzo.
“This is a team historically that we have struggled with year after year after year, so it’s good to not only get the win, but to come from behind to get that win with the free subs,” Norton said.
Working against the referees, who wouldn’t call clock stoppage for the 8-plus times the Royals went down with an “injury”, the Trojans’ nine fresh substitutes off the bench against the Royals’ three proved to be overpowering.
“We have coach Cowley, who is dedicated to serving as our conditioning coach, so our conditioning regimen is the same every single day,” Norton said. “Tonight it felt like they really came out and gave it their all. To start off with a win with only five practices, that’s a really good feeling I think for everybody here.”
Contact Jacob Powers at jpowers@pvtimes.com. Follow @jaypowers__ on X.
