OHS soccer season ends

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OHS soccer season ends

Sports

Wednesday, 08 February 2012 15:31

News-Gazette Photo/Andrew Sullivan

Osceola’s Andres Ramirez (20) celebrates his first half goal with Tim Elsterman (15) and Wilmer Canales during the 2A-2 regional final at Kowboys field Tuesday.

Tampa Gaither rallies to 2-1 win in regional final at Kowboys field
By Rick Pedone
Sports Editor
The most successful boys soccer season in Osceola High School history came to an end with the swiftness of a 10-yard goal by Tampa Gaither’s Jonas Bukh in the 73rd minute Tuesday at Kowboys field.
Bukh scored both goals for Gaither, 20-4-1, in a 2-1 regional final victory that sends the team into the Class 4A semifinal round Friday at Orange Park Fleming Island.
Osceola finished 22-7-1, but it seemed like its season would extend at least one more game after a 35-yard strike to the upper corner by junior defensive back Andres Ramirez in the 36th minute gave the Kowboys a 1-0 lead.
Coach Tom Bell said the Kowboys could have, and probably should have, moved on.
“That team is no better than we are, absolutely not,” he said. “Their coach did a better job than I did. We were out-coached, that was the difference.”
Osceola carried the attack early in the game and had a scoring opportunity just six minutes in when Manny Serrano was fouled just outside the penalty box and Maikel Bonilla took a free kick that was blocked.
Gaither began to swing the momentum over the next 10 minutes and had a pair of good scoring opportunities. Tyler Ham missed wide, and Tarek Assaad’s shot was stopped by Kowboys goalie Jeanfred Santos. Santos, a senior who has earned a place on the Orlando City developmental team, made several first-half saves to keep the Kowboys in the game.
Ramierez’ goal came like a lightning bolt near the end of the half.
“I got a good pass from Tim (Elsterman) and I had a clear shot,” he said. “It was one of those things where you just take a shot and see what happens. It was the longest goal I’ve scored this year.”
Osceola’s lead did not last long into the second half. In the 44th minute, Bukh bounced a header just over Santos’ outstretched arm to knot the score at 1.
Gaither continued its assault and nearly got the lead when Jhonathan Dasilva hit the crossbar from 15 yards and Paul Barrett’s header was wide.
“We kept going up the middle, and that’s not the type of team we are. We aren’t big and physical. Our strength is on the perimeter where we can take advantage of our speed, then we can work it inside,” Bell said. “But where did we keep on sending the ball? To the middle. We lost focus.”
The Kowboys lost the battle at midfield repeatedly late in the game, and it finally proved costly when Bukh got a pass from Dasilva just outside the box and got clear shot from the right side for the game winner.
Osceola had a late chance when Elsterman took a shot off an errant clearing pass from 20 yards that sailed over the crossbar. Seconds later, the game ended.
Gaither Coach Eric Sims said his team started slowly and got better.
“There was the long ride over here, and not playing in a week hurt. I think it just took us a half to get back into the playoff mentality,” he said. “Their back scored a great goal to give them the lead, but at the half we felt like we just needed to keep playing with intensity and we’d be alright.”
Gaither, making its second consecutive trip to the final four, received a bye into the regional final after Lakeland Jenkins forfeited Friday for using an ineligible player in its regional quarterfinal victory over Tampa Freedom.
Osceola had never reached the regional final before this season.
“These kids have been great. It’s the most fun I’ve ever had coaching,” Bell said. “I’ve won a regional championship in club ball, but nothing has been as much fun as this. We’ve got seniors here who are going to play next year. Jeanfred and Allanfredo (Santos) will be with Orlando City; Jon Fraire and Greg Martinez and Eddie Gonzalez, all of these players are going to play somewhere because they are great players.”
The Kowboys will have the bulk of their scoring returning next season in Bonilla, who had 37 goals, and Serrano, who had 16.
The Kowboys advanced to the regional final after a 5-4 (PK) win at Winter Springs last week that saw Fraire, Bonilla, Jeanfred Santos, Elsterman and Serrano score on penalty kicks. Santos made the game-winning save.
“We were trying to score all night. We hit the post, we hit the referee, we hit everything except the inside of the goal,” Bell said. “We had a goal called back in overtime, but our guys stepped up and scored on their penalty kicks. Jeanfred is one of our best penalty kickers, he’s always No. 3, and he had a great save to win it.”
Gateway (15-5-1) saw its season end at St. Lucie Centennial Friday, 2-1, in the Class 5A regional semifinals.
Centennial took a 1-0 lead in the first half, but Gateway’s Felipe Oliveira tied it early in the second half on his school-record 31st goal.
Centennial scored the game-winner late in the half, ending one of the Panthers’ best-ever seasons under Coach Oswald Attin.
“This new district was no picnic with the likes of Dr. Phillips, West Orange and Olympia. It was a great challenge to make to the district championship and again go to the regional semifinals, a task that many said was impossible,” Attin said. “I believe the county was well-represented this year and we made our school proud.”
Several of the team’s leading players will graduate: Oliveira, Bernabe Serrano, David Camillo Espitia, Sandro Salazar, Juan Villa Naranjo, Nelson Menendez, Manuel Fondino and Jonathan Serrano.