Goalkeeping and defense held strong through the first forty minutes of action as Ooltewah high school hosted district opponent Bradley Central on Tuesday evening, but Bradley Central seniors Cesar Lopez and Christian Osorio both came up with second-half goals to lead their team past the Owls 2-0.
The surplus of blankets and sweatshirts in the stands seemed out of place through a first half that was played under the sunny afternoon sky, but as the offense heated up, the spring air cooled down.
Through the first 40 minutes, each goalie came up with vital saves to keep the game locked at zero apiece, and the Ooltewah defensive duo of Reese Moser and Alex Bruner took turns denying Bradley Central attackers with sliding tackles and deflections. On the other end, it was Christian Osorio and Jay Bonner stifling a speedy Ooltewah attack.
“That’s why I’ve got Christian back there,” said Bradley Central head coach Miguel Armenta. “I’ve got another senior, Jay Bonner, and they’re my two fastest, so they’re in the back. As long as we don’t make a mental mistake, we’re okay,” said Armenta.
The Bears’ defensive unit had their hands full with the long-legged Ali El Mardenly and Erik Ornelas who routinely made swift, sustained runs that included everything but a finish.
Late in the half, the Bears looked to break through. After collecting a corner kick with an expert touch, Cesar Lopez loaded up for a strike hoping to break the tie. Lopez drove the ball with great force but miscalculated the launch angle to such a degree that the ball sailed straight up into the air so high that it seemed it might just stay up there in place of the sun that had just retreated out of sight behind the tree-line. The ball landed harmlessly behind the net and still, 0-0.
The Owls got impactful play from senior captain Wesley Carpenter as well, but in the late stages of the first half, as Carpenter and Bradley Central midfielder Jeffery Canales fought for a header, a head-to-head collision left Canales with a yellow card and left Carpenter sprawled out on his back until an athletic trainer ushered him slowly off the pitch.
Carpenter’s luck didn’t turn when he returned in the second half as just two minutes in, his foot was stomped on, producing an agonized yelp from Carpenter who finished the game not sure which to ice first–his head or his foot.
Ten minutes later, still knotted at nil-nil, the Bears were fouled just on the attacking side of midfield. To the ball stepped Osorio who launched a majestic, curling ball through the darkening sky that arrived in a box crowded with leaping bodies and found the head of Lopez who redirected it perfectly into the back of the net. The whole play seemed to take place in slow motion, but the shift in momentum happened quicker than the snap of a finger.
“We’ve gone through this problem for quite a few games in the past,” said Armenta. “We’ve had close losses… the difference has been one goal, and the reason is, we can’t put the ball in the net. Today we seemed to find it,” said Armenta.
In the game’s 72nd minute, Osorio got his own chance on net after a foul in the box earned him a penalty kick. As Ooltewah’s goalie made a dive to his right, the ball made a dash to his left and punished the twine in the back of the net to double the Bradley County lead with just a few minutes to play.
“We’ve got number seven (Lopez), who had a great game, and my center back Christian Osorio,” said Armenta. “They’re expected to do that and they’re leading by example,” he added.
The Bears open district play on a positive note and move above .500 on the season with the gutty road win.
“Our district is going to be like this all season long,” said Armenta. “I don’t think we have an easy game. All of our district is tough,” said Armenta.
Both the Owls and the Bears will look to place themselves near the top of that stiff district as Ooltwah hosts Signal-Mountain on Thursday night and Bradley Central welcomes another district foe in Walker County.
BRADLEY CENTRAL 0 2 – 2
OOLTEWAH 0 0 – 0
Goal scorers: Bradley Central (2) - Cesar Lopez, Christian Osorio.