Gaither
defeats Jesuit
Originally
Published:
With Sheldon Shealy, one of
the coordinators of the poll, in attendance Friday at USF, Bush didn't need to
solicit support.
Gaither (13-1) likely won't
find itself atop the poll, however, as Mater Dei (12-0-1) of California cruised
to the Premier bracket championship with a 6-1 win against Bloomingdale (11-2).
In four tournament games, Mater Dei outscored opponents 20-1.
While Mater Dei probably
will move up from No. 2 to the top spot, Gaither could find itself in the Top
5, up from the No. 15 ranking prior to the start of the tournament.
Gaither's defense pitched
three shutouts in four games as the Cowboys outscored opponents 10-1 in four
games.
``This is nice [to win the
championship], but really, it's just another win,'' Bush said. ``It's good for
rankings and polls and bragging rights and all that other stuff, but it's not
for a state championship.''
Gaither's Steve Sullivan
scored the only goal of the match midway through the first half as he
capitalized on Norris Hartzog's flick pass following Bryce Wegerle's corner
kick. Sullivan was left unmarked at the far post as Hartzog's pass trickled
across the box.
Jared Swindle made a couple
of spectacular saves as the Cowboys held off constant pressure put on by the
Jesuit attack for most of the second half. Gaither packed the box with 9-10
players for a majority of the final 20 minutes to hold on to the lead.
``I think we showed tonight
that we are one of the top teams around, but sometimes it's tough to be the
best team in your own county,'' said Jesuit coach Bob Bauman, referring to the
caliber of talent in Hillsborough County. ``Our guys came a long way in three
days because I hadn't felt we had been challenged.''
Bloomingdale was challenged
early by Mater Dei and withstood the pressure, tying the score 1-1 in the first
half. But the Monarchs went on to hand the Bulls their worst loss in Coach Dave
Tennian's 11 seasons.
``Their speed hurt us,''
Tennian said. ``Usually we are the faster team, but they ran right by us.''
In other action, Land O'
Lakes captured the consolation final of the Elite bracket with a 2-1 win
against Winter Park, while Brandon lost 2-0 to Bellarmine Prep of San Jose,
Calif., in the fifth-place match.
Girls Soccer Field Holiday
Tournament:King's Becky Ware scored the game-winner in the second overtime to
give the Lions a 3-2 victory in the championship game against East Bay. The
loss by the Indians was their second this season as King avenged a loss to East
Bay earlier this season.
In the third-place game,
Durant and Auburndale tied 1-1.