Apaches run out of time in 4-3 loss

YOAKUM — Down 4-1 with eight minutes left in the game, the Gonzales Apaches miraculously scored two goals in two minutes to come within one from sending the game into extras.

But as shot after shot came in from the Apaches, time eventually ran out in the game and on the boys’ season as they lost 4-3 to Canyon Lake in the Region IV-4A quarterfinals.

“They fought as hard as they could,” Apaches’ head coach Greg Ramirez said. “They gave it everything they had. I couldn’t ask for more.”

The Apaches’ slow start, an issue the team has had all season, ended up catching up to the team as Canyon Lake netted their first goal in the first 14 seconds.

“Our defense didn’t react fast enough on that design play,” Ramirez said of the goal. “We started off late. That’s been the tale all season. We’ve been starting late. We start flat.”

The Apaches couldn’t find openings in the Hawks’ defense until after the first 15 minutes of game clock. Eventually, forwards such as Santiago Escoto and Rogelio Sanchez, who’s injury forced him to come off the bench late in the first half, found ways to get shots on goal. But it wasn’t enough as the team went down 1-0 to end the half.

Within the first two minutes of the second half, Canyon Lake scored yet again, to double their lead. Then, with 24:59 left on the clock, the Hawks scored what appeared to be the goal to put the game away as Gonzales goal keeper Daniel Barrientos was overly aggressive in his pursuit, allowing the third goal of the night.

Three minutes later, Jose Flores answered from the far side of the 20-yard line, curling in a shot to score the Apaches first goal of the night.

“It was very impressive. He’s made those shots before,” Ramirez noted. “That’s almost his ‘sweet’ spot right there. Just wish he had a couple more of those.”

The Hawks scored again, 48 seconds later, to go up 4-1. But as the clock began to play a factor, the Apaches’ offense pushed up while Canyon Lake played back and finally a cross from Antonio Hernandez from 50 yards out found its way through the hands of the Hawks’ goal keeper, cutting the lead now to two with 7:28 left in the game. Flores later took a shot from 30 yards out that the Hawks’ goalie was unable to gather and Escoto from a few feet away was able to find the net to cut the lead now to 4-3.

Now down one, the Apaches kept sending the ball into the box with shots taken by Escoto and crosses by Fabian Cardoza until eventually the time ran out.

“We just didn’t have enough time left,” Ramirez said. “I thought if we had another two more minutes, we’d probably capitalize.”

The loss ends the Apaches’ season one round behind last year’s playoff run. But the impact left by the current senior class will be one that’s felt for a long time, according to the head coach.

“They help create this team,” Ramirez noted. “Without them I don’t think we would have had a team as solid for the past three years as we had. They helped build a foundation.”

The Apaches end their season 17-6-1, 10-1-1 in District 26-4A.