Yellowjackets too powerful for Warriors

For the first 20 minutes the Mercy High soccer team neutralized the Williams attack, but the Yellowjackets broke through the Warriors defense and won 9-3 on Thursday in Williams.

The Yellowjackets struck five times in an 11-minute span late in the first half after a strong opening by Mercy.

Williams (3-2-1), the Northern Section Division III runner-up last season, scored first in the 15th minute when freshman forward Salvador Ramirez broke free and passed the ball to himself around charging Mercy goalkeeper Alejandro Guerrero.

Warriors senior forward Jose Rosales placed a penalty kick into the lower-left side of the goal three minutes later to tie the match.

Alex Gomez scored on a highlight-reel worthy bicycle kick in the 21st minute and the Yellowjackets swarmed the Warriors defense the rest of the half.

Johnny Santos went opposite corner for a goal in the 26th minute, Johnny Cervantes headed in a smooth pass from Gomez in the 27th minute and Ramirez scored his second goal of the game in the 30th minute.

"What I've been enforcing for the last week or so was just working on our technical skills, like our passing, our dribbling and then we're practicing a lot on corner kicks. This was a good game to practice all our basic technical skills," Williams coach Renea Garcia said.

Tony Boites put the Yellowjackets up 6-1 with a penalty kick into the lower-left corner in the 32nd minute.

Rosales nearly scored in the final minute of the half but his header deflected off the post and out of bounds for a goal kick.

Ruben Medina had better luck with the crossbar for the Yellowjackets in the 51st minute and Billy Ruiz scored two minutes later to put Williams up 8-1.

Mercy found some offense in the 61st minute with a goal by Brazilian exchange student Matheus Coletta.

Williams scored their final goal in the 72nd minute off the foot of Cristian Solis.

In Coletta's final game with Mercy before returning home to Brazil, he scored again, this time off a pass by Dennis Doan in the 79th minute.

The Warriors (1-3) have a roster with seven exchange students and six girls, which provides coach Victor Torres a unique challenge.

"Some of the kids have never played soccer before. We know how to kick the ball but what do we do? So we're working on positions, how to play, how to attack and how to defend," Torres said.

As the new players learn the intricacies of the game, the Warriors lean on Jose Rosales, a forward, and his twin brother Juan Rosales, a fullback.

Mercy, which beat Biggs 14-4 on Tuesday, returns to action on Thursday with a home game against Esparto at 3:30 p.m.

Williams travels to Los Molinos for a 3:15 p.m. game against the Bulldogs.

CONTACT Kirk Barron at 458-2121 or kbarron@tcnpress.com.