Prep soccer: Blue Comets, Cougars make deep runs in state playoffs

Asheboro’s Cristian Raygadas, right, makes a move in front of Pisgah’s Fernando Gamez during the third round of the Class 3A state playoffs. (PJ Ward-Brown / Randolph Record)

ASHEBORO – Boys’ soccer teams from Asheboro and Southwestern Randolph made it to the final week of the season.

They hope to make all the way to state championships.

Asheboro is in Class 3A and Southwestern Randolph is in Class 2A. Both teams hold No. 1 seeds in the West Region, meaning they would be assigned home games all the way through regional play.

The teams play in West Region finals Tuesday night. Victories in those games would send them to their respective state finals.

The state championships are scheduled to be played at the Mecklenburg County Sportsplex in Matthews for the first time. One game will be played Friday night and the other three on Saturday. The finals schedule will be set following the completion of the regional finals.

The facility in Matthews was first used as a North Carolina High School Athletic Association championship site for the girls’ soccer title games in the spring.

Asheboro’s postseason run

The opponent for Asheboro in the regional final Tuesday night will be second-seeded Winston-Salem Reynolds.

Asheboro didn’t allow a goal in its first four postseason games.

A second-round victory against No. 16 seed North Cabarrus came by a 5-0 score as Cam Letterlough supplied two goals and two assists and Diego Bustamante posted two goals and one assist.

The Blue Comets topped No. 9 seed Pisgah 4-0 in a game last Thursday night at Zoo City Sportsplex because of rain and concern about field conditions on campus. Letterlough had two goals and Bustamante and Ozmar Martinez had the other goals.

Then came Saturday’s 3-0 toppling of fifth-seeded East Lincoln (22-3-2), with Bustamante providing one goal and one assist. Letterlough and Carlos Castaneda had the other goals.

The Blue Comets reached the reginal final for the second time in three years.

If Asheboro advances to the title game, there could be a rematch from August. In the East Region final, Western Alamance has a date Tuesday night against Southern Durham. Asheboro defeated visiting Western Alamance 4-3 in a non-conference game three months ago.

Cougars click in playoffs

In Class 2A, Southwestern Randolph faces No. 14 seed Lincolnton in the regional final to determine which team would go on to the state final.

The Cougars knocked No. 16 seed Trinity, a fellow member of the Piedmont Athletic Conference, out of the postseason with a 5-1 second-round victory. Yael Rebollar Ortiz and Fernando Hernandez scored two goals apiece.

Trinity finished with a 15-6-3 record, with half of the losses coming against Southwestern Randolph.

The Cougars went on to defeat No. 25 seed Bandys 3-0 last Thursday night at Zoo City Sportsplex. The game was moved to that venue because of rain.

Hernandez, Jonathan Lopez and Aaron Avina had the goals.

Then came Saturday’s fourth round with the Cougars prevailing 5-4 in a comeback victory against No. 12 seed Newton-Conover. Hernandez scored four goals and Kevin Garcia had the other tally.

Jared Deniz and Zach Schweighardt each had two goals for Newton-Conover (20-6-2).