Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Oscar Barrio (40) knifes between Andrada Polytechnic defenders during the season finale on Jan. 31. The Wildcats recorded an 8-0 home win to finish 3-10 overall, 3-6 seeding, and ranked No. 49 ()minus 14.7959 rating) of 54 3A teams, under first-year Maurizio Ciriello. The Morenci senior scored thrice in his final two outings and influenced an award in his name to be given to future players. Sophomore Andrew Camacho (20), senior Gabriel Navarro (32), and senior Dominiq Duran (34) were the opposing Mustangs Barrio slid between.
By Raymundo Frasquillo
MORENCI – The on-field portion of the school’s initial varsity soccer season ended with the completion of the regular season on Jan. 31. However, its closure actually was nearly a month later, the evening an awards banquet reviewing what took place was held on Feb. 25. It took that long not for plaques, certificates, words, or food items to be prepared, but largely for a time it did not clash with spring sports schedules or other school or community events being held. Well-prepared food items were consumed by all those in attendance.
The highlight of the evening was 13 varsity letter winners being announced, with three of them unable to attend the first historic season wrap-up. The 8-inch varsity letters and pins were for the ones playing in at least half the matches, with half of the time per match being played. The criteria amounted to being on the field 40 minutes per 80-minute match, and in 7 ½ of the 13 matches held during the historic season.
Seniors Oscar Barrio and Lydia McCargish; juniors Josh Biggs, Matteo Ciriello, Brady Hooper, Tyler Lewis, Aaron Merz, and Quinton Wiltbank; sophomores Anthony Ballesteros and Keaton Jasso; and freshmen Nolyn Adams, Bryant Figueroa, and Jossue Vaca Jr. comprised the baker’s dozen.
Awards for the Best Defensive Player went to Oscar Barrio, the Best Offensive Player to Anthony Ballesteros, and the Most Valuable Player to Matteo Ciriello.
Key Player Awards were received by Adams, Biggs, Figueroa, Jasso, Lewis, McCargish, Merz, Clinton Sipes Jr., Vaca, and Wiltbank.
The Oscar Barrio Award will be included in the following seasons, so named for his excellence, work ethic, and determination of a player, as well as contributing something that cannot be coached, but exudes from a player.
Additionally, certificates, Heart of the Team went to Kathy Lara; the Most Improved Offensive Player to Brady Hooper; Most Improved Defensive Player and Outstanding New Team Player to Bryant Figueroa; Most Consistent Team Player to Tyler Lewis; Captains to Biggs, Ciriello, and Jasso; Best Practice Team Player to Tristan Burke; Managers to Cecilia Madrid and Isabelle Shock; and Equipment Manager to Alexis McKinney.
Certificates of participation were awarded to the 24 members out for the sport as well.
The Wildcats ended 3-10 overall, 3-6 seeding, and ranked No. 49 (minus 14.7959 rating) of 54 3A teams under first-year head coach Maurizio Ciriello.
Morenci was outscored 30-73 as six Wildcats provided the team scoring. Sophomore midfielder/striker Keaton Jasso contributed 11 goals, sophomore forward/striker Anthony Ballesteros 10, senior midfielder Oscar Barrio six, junior midfielder/striker Brady Hooper one, junior forward Tyler Lewis one, and junior striker/forward Quinton Wiltbank one.
On the season, Morenci scored its’ initial match goal against Safford (Nov. 30), a Ballesteros header on an assist from Jasso’s corner kick; Ballesteros scored in the second half against Globe (Dec. 3), and Jasso and Quinton Wiltbank scored both once during the second half against Florence (Dec. 30).
Ballesteros scored a first-half goal in the second match against Safford (Jan. 11), and Ballesteros scored three straight goals against Tombstone (Jan. 14) before Jasso added the fourth one; Jasso scored three goals and Ballesteros one against Globe (Jan. 25); Jasso totaled four goals, Oscar Barrio three, Ballesteros one, and Brady Hooper one against Tucson Andrada Polytechnic (Jan. 27); and Barrio recorded a second hat trick, Jasso added two goals, Ballesteros two, and Tyler Lewis one against Andrada Polytechnic (Jan. 31).
Morenci’s wins were 8-0 over No. 54 3A independent Andrada Polytechnic (0-8 overall, 0-8 seeding, minus 22.9505 rating, 0-0 region) on Jan. 31, 8-1 over Andrada Polytechnic on Jan. 27, and 4-2 over No. 52 3A Tombstone (1-10, 1-10, minus 16.3277, 0-8 for 9th of 10 South Region) on Jan. 14.
The losses during Morenci’s inaugural varsity season were 0-8 to No. 26 3A Avondale Saint John Paul II Catholic (6-6, 6-6, minus 1.0604, 3-5 Southwest Region for 6th of 10) on Jan. 20, No. 46 Globe (3-7, 3-7, minus 9.1055, 0-7 East Region for 8th of 9) on Jan. 25, 1-13 to No. 22 3A Safford (9-4, 6-3, 1.2143, 5-3 South Region for 3rd of 10) on Jan. 11, 2-3 to No. 51 3A Florence (2-14, 1-11, minus 9.0537, 1-6 East Region for 7th of 9) on Dec. 30, 0-10 to No. 32 6A Mesa Skyline (6-12-1, 3-8-1, minus 3.6794, 0-4-1 East Valley Region for 6th of 6) on Dec. 30, 0-5 to No. 44 3A Parker (4-12-1, 2-6-1, minus 8.1681, 3-4 Northwest Region for 5th of 8) on Dec. 29, 0-5 to No. 42 4A Surprise Paradise Honors (3-12-1, 1-10-1, minus 11.6770, 0-5 Southwest Region for 6th of 6) on Dec. 29, to Tombstone on Dec. 10, 1-9 to Globe on Dec. 3, and 1-11 to Safford on Nov. 30.
It took nine matches, but the Wildcats posted their initial soccer win, 4-2 over Tombstone in Lawson Stadium on Jan. 14. In so doing, the Wildcats recorded the first home win, the first come-from-behind win, the first 2-point win, the first win with two players contributing scoring, the first match with one player scoring three goals, the first win under MHS head coach Maurizio Ciriello, and snapped the first 8-match loss streak.
The 2022 varsity season was the culmination of several club-type seasons. The 2023 season’s goal is to qualify for the post-season.
The initial 27-member varsity roster had three seniors, 11 juniors, two sophomores, and 11 freshmen. Following the voluntary defection of three freshmen, 24 members finished out the season.
Those were seniors Barrio, Rebel Gentry II, and McCargish; juniors Aurora Bennett, Josh Biggs, Kristela Reza Cardona, Ciriello, Brianna Crandell, Hooper, Lara, Lewis, Merz, Clinton Sipes Jr., and Wiltbank; sophomores Ballesteros, Jasso; and freshmen Adams, James Anderson, Burke, Ciara Crandell, Figueroa, Alejandro Gonzalez, Yalitza Rios-Ortega, and Vaca.
3A State Soccer Tourney
There were 41 teams fielded in 6A, 46 in 5A, 47 in 4A, and 54 in 3A.
The 3A post-season included the top 24 teams, with a 16-team play-in round of No. 9 through No. 24 on Feb. 3, followed by the surviving eight teams facing the top eight Feb. 8 through Feb. 18.
There were six teams from the Metro East Region; five each from the Central, East, and Southwest Regions; two from the Northwest Region, and one from the South Region. The play-in round eliminated three higher seeds, round one two higher seeds, and the quarterfinals yielded four region champions as the top four seeds for the semifinals.
Third-ranked Phoenix Country Day (10-0-1, 15.1821, 7-0 Central Region for 1st) doubled up on Gilbert North American Leadership (13-0 seeding, 19.5994 rating, 9-0 Metro East Region for 1st) 6-3 for the title on Feb. 18.
Phoenix Country Day eliminated No. 2 Thatcher (11-0, 19.1711, 7-0 East Region for 1st) 4-1 during the semifinals Feb. 15, No. 11 Phoenix Basis (7-3-1, 7.0153, 6-1 Central Region for 2nd) 8-0 during the quarterfinals Feb. 12, and No. 14 Yuma Catholic (6-4-2, 3.3301, 5-2-1 Southwest Region for 4th) 9-1 during round one on Feb. 8
Gilbert North American Leadership ousted No. 4 Phoenix Northwest Christian (10-1, 13.5787, 6-0 Northwest Region for 1st) 4-3 in the semifinals, No. 8 Anthem Prep (9-1-1, 9.0803, 5-1 Northwest Region for 2nd) 2-1 in the quarterfinals, and No. 16 Queen Creek San Tan Foothills (5-5-1, minus 0.1397, 3-3-1 East Region for 5th) 3-0 in round one.
In the other quarterfinals, it was No. 4 Phoenix Northwest Christian 2-0 over No. 12 Phoenix Veritas Prep (8-4, 6.4412, 5-2 Central Region for 3rd) and No. 2 Thatcher 3-0 over No. 7 Chandler Arizona College Prep (8-2-1, 9.8827, 5-2-1 Metro East Region for 4th).
The other round one upper bracket winners were No. 8 Anthem Prep, 3-1 in overtime over No. 9 Buckeye Odyssey Institute (8-2-2, 8.5313, 7-0-2 Southwest Region for 1st); No. 12 Phoenix Veritas Prep, 2-1 in overtime over No. 5 Gilbert Christian (10-2-1, 13.3438, 7-1-1 Metro East Region for 2nd); and No. 4 Phoenix Northwest Christian, advancing with a 4-3 PK following a 1-1 tie over No. 13 Glendale Trivium Prep (7-3-1, 4.4235, 5-2-1 Southwest Region for 3rd).
The other lower bracket advancers were No. 11 Phoenix Basis, 3-2 in overtime over No. 6 Coolidge (11-1, 12.1176, 6-1 East Region for 2nd); No. 7 Chandler Arizona College Prep, 3-0 over No. 10 Chandler Valley Christian (8-3-1, 8.3611, 6-2-1 Metro East Region for 3rd); and No. 2 Thatcher, 4-1 over No. 15 Tucson Pusch Ridge Christian (10-1, 3.1882, 7-1 South Region for 1st).
Advancing from the play-in round were No. 9 Buckeye Odyssey Institute, 1-0 over No. 24 Scottsdale Prep (5-7-1, minus 0.3239, 2-5 Central Region for 5th); No. 11 Chandler Valley Christian, 8-2 over No. 22 Scottsdale Christian (5-6, 1.4465, 4-3 Central Region for 4th); No. 12 Phoenix Basis, 4-0 over No. 21 Gilbert Classical (7-5-2, 1.5210, 4-4-1 Metro East Region for 5th); No. 13 Phoenix Veritas Prep, 1-0 over No. 20 American Leadership – Ironwood (5-5-1, 2.8849, 4-2-1 East Region for 3rd), No. 14 Glendale Trivium Prep, 3-2 over No. 19 Gilbert Arête Prep (7-6-1, 3.1363, 4-5 Metro East Region for 6th); No. 17 Yuma Catholic, 3-0 over No. 16 Mesa Benjamin Franklin (6-5-1, 3.5277, 4-3 East Region for 4th); No. 18 Tucson Pusch Ridge Christian, 2-0 over No. 15 Phoenix Bourgade Catholic (7-3-1, 3.5596, 5-3 Southwest Region for 5th); and No. 23 Queen Creek San Tan Foothills, 1-0 over No. 10 Phoenix NFL Yet (8-1-3, 8.4429, 6-0-2 Southwest Region for 2nd).
