The Perry boys soccer team fell in their first match at Dewey Field Saturday, but bounced back to claim a win in the consolation match of their own tourney with a 2-1 win over defending state champion Norwalk.
The Warriors have been a state tourney nemesis for the Bluejays, topping Perry, 1-0, in the 2014 championship match and blanking the Jays, 4-0, in the semifinals last season.
Norwalk is 4-6 overall this season, but Perry head coach Gary Overla said “Norwalk is a much better team than their record” and that his team “played really well” in collecting the win.
Anthony Velasco scored on a penalty kick for Perry, with Mike Velasco converting on a breakaway. The goal was set up by passes from Tomas Lopez and Ever Tobar and drew praise from Overla as a “beautiful goal — looked like real soccer.”
Perry (7-6) had been bumped to the consolation round by Southeast Polk, 2-0. Both Ram goals came in the opening 15 minutes, the result of what Overla called “a slow, slow start for the Blue Jays.”
Lewis Central (10-1) blanked Norwalk, 3-0, in the other semifinal, then went on to defeat SEP (5-7), 2-1 for the tourney title. LC holds a 41-3 scoring edge over their 11 matches.
The champion Titans “were the cream of the crop at this year’s tournament,” Overla said. “They are a very dangerous team, extremely athletic and can finish quite well.”
ADM (9-3) blanked Winterset (7-4) Monday, setting the stage for a Raccoon River Conference showdown between ADM and Perry on Dewey Field at 7 p.m. tonight. A Perry win would give all three teams one loss, and, barring the unforeseen, that is likely how the season would end. The RRC does not crown “co-champions” so all three would claim a share of the title, which would be a fourth straight for the Bluejays.
