OAKWOOD -- Richie Castruita, like the rest of the West Hall boys soccer team, stayed calm, stayed patient.
Despite a frenzied but fruitless opening 10 minutes against Coahulla Creek in the quarterfinals of the Class AAA playoffs that saw nearly half-a-dozen chances, including a golden opportunity just 50 seconds in, the Spartans never wavered that their attack-at-all-costs approach would eventually pay off.
“That was our game plan and we just stayed with it. I don’t think they were ready for our speed and it finally just came to us,” said Castruita, who would end the frustration scoring twice in just over three minutes to spark what would eventually become a 4-0 Spartans win on a hot Saturday afternoon at West Hall Stadium.
The win for West Hall (11-1-2) moved the Spartans into the semifinals for a second consecutive year. After the victory, the Spartans awaited word on the winner of the Westminster-Oconee County quarterfinal to see who they will entertain in Oakwood on Tuesday for a shot at the championship match.
Castruita, who finished with a hat trick, was not shy about who he and most of the current Spartans want. Oconee County has knocked the Spartans out the playoffs each of the past two seasons.
“We would love another shot at Oconee County,” he said. “It’s exciting to get back to the Final Four. We worked hard all year to get here.”
Spartans coach Tim Gale was a little more cautious about his preference.
“I think the kids definitely want Oconee and that would be another great matchup,” Gale said. “I don’t think we were quite in their league the last couple of seasons but I feel we’d match up with them this time around. But it doesn’t really matter because either one is going to be good.”
They later found out they would get their wish. Oconee County knocked off Westminster 1-0 to set up the rematch.
As for the fast opening that didn’t materialize as quickly as they wanted....
“It was a little frustrating because we had some good chances early on but just couldn’t get the ball in the net,” Gale said. “We felt we could exploit them with our speed and finally Richie got a rebound and that just kind of got us going.”
West Hall went for the quick score in the first 50 seconds. The Spartans got the opening kickoff and after retreating briefly put together a series of nifty passes, including a beautiful chip pass over the defense to Simon Cobian for a wide open shot. But Colts’ keeper Missa Fraire was able to make the last-second save on Cobian’s low blast.
West Hall kept the pressure on with two more chances in the next two minutes but Fraire was able to beat the forwards to the ball.
The Colts played aggressive to start as well bringing all 10 onto the offensive side even when West Hall controlled the ball deep in its end. Coahulla Creek got a quick fastbreak off a long goal kick that had Spartans keeper Cesar Villa stopping a 20-yard blast from Martin Garcia in the fifth minute. The Colts generated the first corner of the match with just over 34 minutes left but again Villa was able to thwart the attack with another save.
The Spartans aggressiveness was finally rewarded when Cobian ripped a 25-yard blast off a scramble for the ball that Fraire made a diving save on. But the rebound trickled away from him and Castruita pushed the rebound past Fraire for a 1-0 lead at 29:18 of the first half.
“That was a big shot and I think that kind of relaxed our guys some,” Gale said.
Castruita struck again three minutes later when he blasted in a tremendous crossfield throw-in from Brad Hodgson past Fraire for a 2-0 lead with 26:00 left.
Castruita nearly got the hat trick three minutes after that taking a nice give-and-go feed from Sammy Coto down the left side but his right-footed shot while moving left clipped the side of the net.
The Spartans did not back off. They generated three more scoring opportunities over the next four minutes and eventually the Colts made a mistake.
Baley Jones dragged down Castruita inside the box on a potential breakaway and the Spartans were awarded a PK. This time Castruita got the hat trick at 15:50 sliding a shot low and to the right past Fraire for a 3-0 West Hall lead.
“Richie is quite a player and he has stepped up for us. He can run all day and he is able to drop back on defense as well so he’s really coming into his own,” Gale said.
Castruita and several of the starters were lifted after the third goal for reserves and Coahulla Creek went on the attack.
The Colts generated a corner less than a minute later and another four minutes after that keeping the ball on the Spartans side. But both times Villa denied them.
The West Hall reserves were able to get into Colts territory twice on a pair of long passes and runs but Fraire kept the score at 3-0.
Coahulla Creek got another corner with 1:30 but the Spartans defense did not allow a quality shot. Villa cut off a long throw-in for a save 20 seconds later. A free kick by Allen Cruz with :05 seconds left sailed high as the teams went to half with the Spartans leading 3-0.
“One of our strengths is our depth,” Gale said. “We feel we can bring in the (second unit) and keep the same skill and intensity. They showed that (Saturday).”
The Spartans did not waste any time going on the attack in the second half as well. They stole the kickoff on the second pass and a quick give-and-go produced a long 30-yard shot that Fraire snagged.
After an end-to-end goal kick that the Spartans were able to control, a long pass down the left side and then a pair of nifty passes created a wide-open 10-yard shot for Cobian but it sailed high in the 44th minute. Two minutes later a nice chip pass over two defenders and in front of another gave Coto a blast at the goal but the Colts defense was able to clear. In the 47th minute the Spartans got a corner that saw a Jose Ramirez shot hit the upright.
In the 48th minute a Ramirez feed to Coto in front of the goal cleared right to Cobian, who slipped a shot just wide right of an open net. In the 52nd minute Ramirez and Coto hooked up again on another give-and-go but Fraire’s diving stop denied Coto again.
The Colts first chance of the second half came in the 56th minute on a long throw-in. The throw pinballed between three defenders and Coahulla Creek’s Ronnie Vargas had a 10-yard shot slip wide left past Villa.
It would take another eight minutes but the Spartans struck again on a tremendous effort by Johann Corona. The junior midfielder put on a dribbling exhibition through and around three Colts defenders and then chipped a beautiful soft cross to Coto, who headed it past Fraire for a 4-0 lead with 17:27 left.
“Johann is coming off an injury from last year and we’ve been bringing him along slowly,” Gale said. “But he’s gotten more and more minutes lately and that play just showed what kind of talent he has. That was a tremendous effort.”
Coahulla Creek, which finished 13-7, had just two real scoring threats over the final 17 minutes but Villa and the defense were able to preserve their second shutout of the playoffs. The Spartans have yielded just one goal through the first three rounds.
STATE SOCCER QUARTERFINAL RESULTS
SATURDAY
BOYS
Class AAAAAA
Duluth 4, Habersham Central 2
Class AAAA
Cross Keys 3, Johnson 2
Class AAA
West Hall 4, Coahulla Creek 0
Calhoun 1, East Hall 0
Decatur 2, Dawson County 1
Class AA
Pace Academy 4, Riverside Military 0
STATE SOCCER SEMIFINAL SCHEDULE
TUESDAY
GIRLS
Blessed Trinity at Lumpkin County
BOYS
Oconee County at West Hall
