Boys soccer: Horsemen, Blue Griffins tie in weather-halted match

St. Michael's all but seals 2A-AAA title with draw

Pancho Morris | The New Mexican

10/11/2008 - 10/12/08

A draw was neither the way St. Michael's High School wanted to win nor the way Santa Fe Preparatory wanted to lose the District 2A-AAA boys soccer title Saturday at Brother Abdon Memorial Field.

But with 17 minutes remaining in a 1-1 stalemate, Mother Nature intervened.

Lightning.

Thunder.

Hail.

Rain.

All within in a matter of seconds.

What, no Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse?

No, the state has the New Mexico Activities Association, which governs high school sports.

According to a NMAA bylaw, any lightning that occurs in the second half of an athletic event during the regular season, that event will be considered completed.

"They played great soccer, it was a wonderful game, but the NMAA, the Big Brother, decided that the game was over," Hersch Wilson, Santa Fe Prep head coach, said. "The guys are so disappointed."

There was no celebration from the Horsemen (9-5-2 overall, 6-0-1 2A-AAA).

"Am I happy we got the tie?" Merritt Brown, St. Michael's head coach, asked. "Sure. It was a game we should win, but not how we played today."

The Blue Griffins (8-7-1, 5-1-1) had something to do with that.

Santa Fe Prep was the aggressor, and its back four of Kevin Lowe, Jebb Norton, Brian Lewis and Andrew Brown limited the Horsemen to three first-half shots on frame and none in the second half, until Grant Duke stepped up for a penalty kick.

Duke struck the ball into the upper left-hand corner just seconds ahead of the first lightning.

"At first, I thought he was putting his hand up for the lightning," Wilson said of the referee. "He put it up for a penalty kick."

Duke's goal was the final play. It wiped clean the one-goal deficit that lasted nearly 31 minutes.

Santa Fe Prep had not challenged Arthur Dejarnette in goal until Paawee Lee Rivera took the ball along the right sideline, zigged toward the goal and slotted a through ball in the direction of Marcus Brown, who one-timed it far post in the 26th minute.

The play looked like the Blue Griffins had rehearsed it.

They had.

"All the time," Wilson said. "Getting it up and playing it back."

The Blue Griffins were an overrule away from doubling the advantage.

In the 55th minute, Lewis sent a 55-yard direct kick that ducked under the goal post. But as the ball was crashing into the net, McCall Sides was crashing into Dejarnette. After a discussion with the sideline referee, the goal was waved off.

A second call-waiting, this one in the 73rd minute, also went against the Blue Griffins.

The Horsemen countered a Santa Fe Prep corner kick with a quick attack that had Duke chasing the ball deep in the Blue Griffins' box. Billy Scarborough got to Duke, but not the ball and the senior goalkeeper was whistled for a foul.

Duke did the honors.

The tie salvaged the afternoon and secured the title, even though the Horsemen still have three district matches remaining.

Still.

"As far as pure soccer, I wouldn't give our guys a 'C'," Brown said of his Horsemen. "We actually had a real good week of practice. But the wind today took us out of our rhythm and panic set in even deeper after they scored.

"We have three district games left, including two against a team we haven't played in Desert Academy. We should be able to beat those guys, but as you saw today, anything can happen — good and bad."

Wilson conceded the title to the Horsemen.

"The St. Michael's kids did a great job," he said. "But I'm so proud of my guys. They played so hard and played so well."

A tie?

Who would have predicted?

Ann Brown.

Brown is the wife of Merritt and the mother of Jensen, who died in an automobile accident on April 4 in the 16th year of his life. Jensen played for his father. His friends wore both uniforms.

Prior to the match, Ann found Wilson.

"She came up to me and asked, 'Couldn't we just tie?' " Wilson said. "Lightning, thunder, hail, rain. Can you believe it? Jensen's up there. He's taking care of us."

Maybe a draw was inevitable.

There are those who will believe it was in the clouds.

But maybe Wilson was right.

Maybe it was Heaven-sent.