PHS soccer teams sweep Granite

After a two-game losing streak, the Porterville High boys soccer team needed a spark if it planned on making a run at the East Yosemite League title. Francisco Torres turned out to be that spark for the Panthers.

Porterville also needed Torres to provide a spark in the second half as PHS overcame a 1-0 deficit in a big way, beating Granite Hills 4-1 on Friday at Rankin Stadium to improve to 4-2 in the EYL.

Torres teamed with Cesar Castelo to score all of Porterville’s four goals as Torres and Castelo each scored twice. Torres had been a goalie for PHS, but Porterville coach Angel Vallin moved Torres up front to give his offense more energy.

“In practice I saw that he was very aggressive,” Vallin said. “What do I have to lose? He’s the spark we needed.”

And the second half may have been the spark that PHS needed, Vallin said, “They came out and played championship ball,” he said.

PHS trailed 1-0 early in the second half when Granite goalie Ulises Mijes made a diving save on Chris Barraza’s long-range shot for Porterville, but the ball bounced away. Torres was there to score on the rebound to tie the game 1-1.

Ariel Rosso, whose hands violation in the goal box led to Granite’s goal, more than made up for that with his play in the second half. Rosso was tripped in the goal box, leading to a penalty kick for Barraza.

But Barraza’s shot, which Mijes appeared to just deflect, bounced off the post and PHS failed to convert the rebound. Rosso, though, later crossed a pass to Castelo and Castelo scored on a header to give PHS a 2-1 led.

Torres then scored to make it 3-1. Mijes was able to come out and deflect the ball away from Porterville’s Christopher Mendoza on a breakaway, but Castelo was there to score off the rebound to finish the scoring.

Rosso tried to head the ball out of the goal box in the first half, but the ball deflected off his arm. Jorge Nunez scored on the penalty kick to give Granite a 1-0 lead.

For Granite, who has just 13 players, it continued a pattern in which the Grizzlies just don’t have enough depth to hang on against the EYL’s top teams. Granite was tied last week 1-1 with Monache before losing 2-1 and led Mission Oak 2-1 earlier this week, before losing 3-2 when the Hawks scored the game-winner as time ran out in regulation.

“We just don’t seem to have enough to come out ahead in the end,” Granite Hills coach Luis Espino said. “That’s been our story so far.”

Vallin also praised the play of Cesar Hernandez, who had an outstanding all-around game.

PHS GIRLS 3, GRANITE 0

Porterville led 1-0 at halftime before pulling away in the second half. “I thought it was close in the first half and we had our chances,” Granite Hills coach Gabe Rodriguez said.

But in the end, Rodriguez said PHS was able to take advantage of his team’s mistakes. “You can’t make mistakes against a good team,” he said.

Alley Henry took the ball away from a Granite defender and scored to give PHS a 1-0 halftime lead. Henry has been playing on a sore ankle and had to come out of the game after reaggravating the injury, but Porterville coach Carlos Bravo said Henry should be able to return for the Panthers’ next game.

In the second half, Sabreena Vallin showed off her strong foot, sending a free kick from midfield down to the goal box where Elicia Alvarez was and Alvarez scored on a header to give PHS (3-3 in the EYL) a 2-0 lead. Alvarez scored again to finish the scoring, but not before she was stopped twice on breakways by Granite (3-4 in the EYL) goalie Caylin Chasser, who also denied Kayla Irwin an excellent chance of scoring.

“I was pleased with our effort,” Bravo said. “We played well. Our defense played really well.”

Goalie Rochelle Lupio posted the shutout with the help of defenders Cynthia Alcantar, Alex Benavidez, who filled in for Tori Cox, who was out with a hip injury, Jeannette Sevilla and Monica Zavala.

Bravo is already looking ahead to the second round when his team will have a chance to avenge its losses to Tulare’s EYL powers, Tulare Union, Mission Oak and Tulare Western. “I feel we can beat any team,” Bravo said. “We’ll be ready for the Tulare schools.”

After a two-game losing streak, the Porterville High boys soccer team needed a spark if it planned on making a run at the East Yosemite League title. Francisco Torres turned out to be that spark for the Panthers.

Porterville also needed Torres to provide a spark in the second half as PHS overcame a 1-0 deficit in a big way, beating Granite Hills 4-1 on Friday at Rankin Stadium to improve to 4-2 in the EYL.

Torres teamed with Cesar Castelo to score all of Porterville’s four goals as Torres and Castelo each scored twice. Torres had been a goalie for PHS, but Porterville coach Angel Vallin moved

Torres up front to give his offense more energy.

“In practice I saw that he was very aggressive,” Vallin said. “What do I have to lose? He’s the spark we needed.”

And the second half may have been the spark that PHS needed, Vallin said, “They came out and played championship ball,” he said.

PHS trailed 1-0 early in the second half when Granite goalie Ulises Mijes made a diving save on Chris Barraza’s long-range shot for Porterville, but the ball bounced away. Torres was there to score on the rebound to tie the game 1-1.

Ariel Rosso, whose hands violation in the goal box led to Granite’s goal, more than made up for that with his play in the second half. Rosso was tripped in the goal box, leading to a penalty kick for Barraza.

But Barraza’s shot, which Mijes appeared to just deflect, bounced off the post and PHS failed to convert the rebound. Rosso, though, later crossed a pass to Castelo and Castelo scored on a header to give PHS a 2-1 led.

Torres then scored to make it 3-1. Mijes was able to come out and deflect the ball away from Porterville’s Christopher Mendoza on a breakaway, but Castelo was there to score off the rebound to finish the scoring.

Rosso tried to head the ball out of the goal box in the first half, but the ball deflected off his arm. Jorge Nunez scored on the penalty kick to give Granite a 1-0 lead.

For Granite, who has just 13 players, it continued a pattern in which the Grizzlies just don’t have enough depth to hang on against the EYL’s top teams. Granite was tied last week 1-1 with Monache before losing 2-1 and led Mission Oak 2-1 earlier this week, before losing 3-2 when the Hawks scored the game-winner as time ran out in regulation.

“We just don’t seem to have enough to come out ahead in the end,” Granite Hills coach Luis Espino said. “That’s been our story so far.”

Vallin also praised the play of Cesar Hernandez, who had an outstanding all-around game.

PHS GIRLS 3, GRANITE 0

Porterville led 1-0 at halftime before pulling away in the second half. “I thought it was close in the first half and we had our chances,” Granite Hills coach Gabe Rodriguez said.

But in the end, Rodriguez said PHS was able to take advantage of his team’s mistakes. “You can’t make mistakes against a good team,” he said.

Alley Henry took the ball away from a Granite defender and scored to give PHS a 1-0 halftime lead. Henry has been playing on a sore ankle and had to come out of the game after reaggravating the injury, but Porterville coach Carlos Bravo said Henry should be able to return for the Panthers’ next game.

In the second half, Sabreena Vallin showed off her strong foot, sending a free kick from midfield down to the goal box where Elicia Alvarez was and Alvarez scored on a header to give PHS (3-3 in the EYL) a 2-0 lead. Alvarez scored again to finish the scoring, but not before she was stopped twice on breakways by Granite (3-4 in the EYL) goalie Caylin Chasser, who also denied Kayla Irwin an excellent chance of scoring.

“I was pleased with our effort,” Bravo said. “We played well. Our defense played really well.”

Goalie Rochelle Lupio posted the shutout with the help of defenders Cynthia Alcantar, Alex Benavidez, who filled in for Tori Cox, who was out with a hip injury, Jeannette Sevilla and Monica Zavala.

Bravo is already looking ahead to the second round when his team will have a chance to avenge its losses to Tulare’s EYL powers, Tulare Union, Mission Oak and Tulare Western. “I feel we can beat any team,” Bravo said. “We’ll be ready for the Tulare schools.”