Shutouts were the order of the first day of tournament action in the R.K. Hall & Kings Classic at Wildcat Stadium. All six opening-day matches produced zeros on the losing side of the scoreboard including wins by both Paris teams.
Pictured: A foul on Colin Harris in the final 5 minutes sets up a Paris PK goal and 1-0 win over Pleasant Grove
The Ladycats (2-2-1) dominated Class 5A Denison, 3-0, in the afternoon, and the Wildcats (1-4-1) notched their first win of the season with a 1-0 decision over Pleasant Grove in the day’s final match.
The Cats held a big edge in shots on goal, but were just 5 minutes away from a scoreless tie when junior Colin Harris was taken down on a foul in the 18-yard box. Senior Justin Mitchell took the penalty kick and had the PG goalie guessing the wrong way as his shot found the left corner of the goal.
Junior Wildcat goalie Cade Blackmon didn’t see many chances on his end of the field, but he made a solid deflection of a strike from 15 yards out on a counter down the right flank with about 20 minutes left in the match. Blackmon had a big ally in the first half when a Hawk rocket clang off the goalpost.
Paris faces Terrell in a 7 p.m. match to wrap up Day 1 action on Friday. Terrell lost, 2-0, to Denison, while Pittsburg beat North Lamar, 3-0, in other boys matches.
The Ladycats were missing a pair of regulars: goalkeeper Lindi Hamner, who was ill, and forward Tieren Gates, who was attending an FFA convention in Mount Vernon. It didn’t matter in their opening match, as Paris dominated play and backup goalie Emily Williams was rarely needed.
Sophomore Estephany Balderas, the Ladycats’ leading scorer, gave Paris a 1-0 lead with a 20-yard free kick that rolled into the Denison net with 15:40 remaining until halftime. The set piece was created by a goal kick that was made outside the box.
Paris had a strong south breeze at its back in the first half, but even with the change of sides at halftime the Ladycats found the net two more times. Sophomore Zanesha Dangerfield, who replaced Gates in the lineup, figured into both goals. With 28:05 left in the match, the Denison goalie couldn’t corral a Dangerfield shot, and sophomore Katy Hall popped in the rebound. Then, with 17 minutes remaining, Dangerfield was fouled in the 18-yard box, and senior Monica Silva converted the PK.
Earlier in the day, the Sulphur Springs girls beat North Lamar, 1-0, and the Crandall girls overpowered Bonham, 4-0.
Paris and Crandall will play at 2:30 p.m. Friday in a rematch of last season’s area round playoff which the Lady Pirates won by a 1-0 count.
Additional photos by Melanie Meredith:
