Beau Bearden/Ardmolite
It may take some time for your team to start attacking.
That was the case Tuesday night when the Ardmore High School soccer team scored three straight goals in the final 14 minutes of the first half to beat Del City 6-2.
The Tigers showed plenty of resilience after falling into a 2-0 hole early in the game.
“This year's team is really special,” Ardmore head coach Phil McGinnis said. “They never quit, they never quit. They fight and fight and fight. I love these kids.”
Josh Martinez scored two goals in the second half to lead the Tigers, while John Norton, Alice Villeda Romero, Tony Garcia and Pablo Castro each had one goal.
“It was very balanced,” McGinnis said. “The kids are a real team. They share the ball. They support each other.”
Norton scored Ardmore's first goal with 14:01 left in the first half, but the Tigers were just getting started. Romero tied the game at 2-2 with 10 minutes, 59 seconds left, and Garcia gave the home team a 3-2 advantage with about five minutes to go until intermission.
Ardmore carried the momentum into the second half, with Martinez extending the lead to 4-2 with 31:45 left in the game. Castro scored next, followed by Martinez's second goal with 5:32 left in the game.
The Tigers (2-2) return home for their District 4A-1 opener against Douglas on Thursday, March 28 at 7 p.m.
“There was tough competition,” McGinnis said of the non-district schedule. “This is a very young group, so that has helped us grow. I only have four seniors, six total, but four get playing time and two juniors. People. So we have a lot of sophomores and freshmen. And they've grown so much.”
