Perry's Mario Cruz (4) and a Bondurant-Farrar player battle for possession at Dewey Field last season. Fourth-ranked Perry moved to 7-0 with a win at Dewey Field Tuesday.
HARLAN — Perry overwhelmed Carlisle for the second time this season with a 10-0 time-shortened win in their Class 2A Substate 8 meeting Monday. The Bluejays (9-10) had handed the Wildcats (5-10) a 6-0 loss April 5.[wpedon id=”82220″ align=”center”]
“We did NOT [emphasis from speaker] purposefully run up the score — we emptied our bench early in the first half but did NOT tell our kids NOT to score, I think that is not what the game of soccer is,” Perry head coach Gary Overla stressed. “The goal of the game is to put the ball in the net. Carlisle actually made an adjustment in the second half to defending with almost seven in the box at any given time and we still managed to score.”
Perry roared to a 7-0 halftime lead with goals in the 9th, 10th, 17th, 18th, 29th, 30th and 33rd minutes. The game ended in the 61st minute when freshman Mario Saldana, who had scored three times in the first half, added his fourth goal.
Ever Tobar had three goals for the Jays, with Anthony Velasco, Mike Velasco and Rudy Sarceno also finding the back of the net.
Saldana finished with two assists, with Brandon Ruiz, Sarceno and each Velasco adding single assists.
“I think the kids played a good game and were aggressive the entire time, giving our opponent little time to make good decisions while on the ball,” Overla said. “To be honest, our kids played a fairly flawless game. I certainly hope that they do not see this as the top of their game and where they can be.”
“I feel that we still have some things to improve upon, but this is the style of play that we have been preaching all year,” he added. “We are trying to play the ball faster and be more dangerous to our opponents, and today everything just seemed to gel and come together.”
The win sends Perry into what is rapidly becoming an intense rivalry, as Winterset (10-6) awaits the Bluejays Wednesday. The Huskies, whose only two losses last year — including in the state quarterfinals — came at the feet of Perry managed some revenge with a 3-1 win at Dewey Field last month. The match has a special early start time of 4 p.m. and will be played in Earlham, with whom Winterset has a sharing agreement for boys soccer.
“Winterset is a good team,” Overla said. “I would like to think that we are much improved since that outing and would certainly like the opportunity to prove as much.”
Wednesday’s winner will advance to the Substate Final at 12 p.m. Saturday in Harlan. Glenwood (7-7), who fell to Harlan (15-2) by a 4-0 score earlier this year, earned the right for a rematch Wednesday by blanking Carroll (7-8), 3-0, Monday.
