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Blocked: Garden City holds of Red Demons
Published 10/3/2008 in Sports : GCHS
By JASON ELMQUIST
Cesar Flores was already keeping the Garden City High School boys soccer team ahead on the scoreboard throughout the game with Dodge City on Thursday, but the Buffaloes' attackers admitted after the game that Flores' saves not only helped them keep their lead, but also keep their heads on.
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Brad Nading/Telegram ~ Garden City High School's Junior Cruz, right, steals a pass off his head intended for Dodge City's Julian Sanchez Thursday at Memorial Stadium.
"He helped us a lot," said Ricardo Yeverino, following the Buffs' 2-0 win at Memorial Stadium. "They probably could have tied if he wouldn't have blocked them. He's a good goalie. It helps a lot, because if those balls would have gone in, we probably would have lost our heads a little bit. But once he gets the ball, he's kicking it and we're starting our attack."
The game was tight in the early going, but at the halfway mark of the first half Miguel Ramirez put the Buffs on the board when he headed in a corner kick by Adrian Ramirez -- a play which Miguel Ramirez said hasn't had much success so far this season.
"We always practice that, but they never come out (with a goal)," Miguel Ramirez said. "As soon as Adrian went to go to the corner, I ran to the first post and hit it and luckily it went in. It was a lucky ball. We've always practiced it and we finally got one. And it was against Dodge."
The momentum was firmly on Garden City's side in the closing minutes of the first half, when Flores made a save on a free kick from just outside the goalie box with 2:30 remaining. The Buffs' offense turned the save right around and capitalized on all the Dodge City players being deep in the zone.
A mere 14 seconds following Flores' huge save, Yeverino toed in a pass from Miguel Ramirez after working his way past the goalkeeper who was coming out hard at Yeverino.
"I knew he was going to dive to my right so I just cut in, got it past him and shot it and made it," Yeverino said.
Flores made two more big saves when the Red Demons' attack was making a strong push in the second half to preserve the shutout over their WAC foe, which Garden City had lost to at Dodge City 3-1 a week earlier.
"We were at home," Flores said. "I don't know what it is, but we play different at home. We get inspired and just go out there and play our best. We just don't like losing at home."
While it was Garden City that had troubles keeping its cool at Dodge City, getting two players with red cards, it was the Dodge City players that couldn't control their emotions on Thursday. The Red Demons picked up one yellow card just eight minutes into the game and a second with six minutes remaining in the half. They also had their assistant coach ejected from the game for having words with the referee.
"They were losing their heads pretty quick," Miguel Ramirez said. "With the coach going out with the red card and them losing their heads, that gave us confidence and made us play harder."
Garden City will be at Memorial Stadium on Tuesday to play Liberal. The last time the two teams met, the Buffs came away with a 1-1 tie.
"We tied them over there," GCHS coach Joaquin Padilla said, "so if we play like we did today, we can beat them here."
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GCHS 2, Dodge City 0
Dodge City 0 0 -- 0
Garden City 2 0 -- 0
Scoring
First Half
GCHS -- Miguel Ramirez, Adrian Ramirez assist (20:23)
GCHS -- Ricardo Yeverino, Miguel Ramirez assist (2:16)
Shots -- Dodge City 11, GCHS 12; Shots on Goal -- Dodge City 5, GCHS 7; Saves -- Cesar Flores, GCHS 5. Yellow cards -- Dodge City 2, GCHS 1. Red cards -- Dodge City 1 (bench).
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