Fall prep sports schedule turns to district action

FARMINGTON − The district season is underway for many boys and girls soccer teams across San Juan County, and the importance of each match takes on greater significance with an eye towards the postseason.

Meantime, prep volleyball action heats up as well with district play underway as well as final tune-ups as the homestretch looms.

Here's a look at prep sports action around the county.

Volleyball

MONUMENT VALLEY 3, Farmington 1

The Monument Valley High School volleyball team earned their second win from their last three matches, going on the road for a three games to one victory at Scorpion Arena against Farmington.

The Mustangs and Scorpions split the first two sets, with Monument Valley winning the opener 25-20 before Farmington tied the match with a 25-21 score in the second set.

Monument Valley (5-2) won the final two sets by scores of 25-21 and 25-15 to secure the win, while Farmington saw their four-match win streak come to an end. The Scorpions exit the loss with a record of 6-4 and will take part in tournament action this weekend.

PIEDRA VISTA 3, Kirtland Central 1

The Piedra Vista High School volleyball team snapped a five-match losing streak Tuesday night at the Jerry A. Conner Fieldhouse, beating Kirtland Central three games to one.

The Panthers and Broncos exchanged wins in the first two sets of the match, with Piedra Vista winning the first set 25-20 before Kirtland Central evened the match with a 27-25 win in the second set. The Panthers finished off the Broncos, winning the third set 25-23 and the fourth set by a score of 25-12.

For Kirtland Central (6-3), the loss snapped a four-match winning streak as they prepare to take part in the Sandia Prep Tournament beginning Friday. Piedra Vista improves to 4-7 on the season.

Girls Soccer

AZTEC 3, Miyamura 0

The Aztec High School girls soccer team kicked off their District 1-4A campaign on a winning note, shutting out Miyamura by a final of 3-0 Tuesday afternoon at Fred Cook Memorial Stadium.

Senior Kathrine Grady, junior Rheala Herrera and freshman Autumn Villanueva each scored a goal for the Lady Tigers, who added to their 2-0 halftime lead with a goal in the second half while freshman goaltender Marissa Day stopped four shots on her way to a clean sheet victory.

The win snaps a six-match losing streak for the Lady Tigers, improving their record on the season to 2-6 (1-0 District). Prior to beating Miyamura, Aztec's lone victory came in the first match of the season last month when they topped Grants 6-0 in an opening round match of the Lady Tiger Shootout. The Lady Tigers will be back in action Thursday afternoon at home once again when they face their crosstown rival Bloomfield in another district showdown.

BLOOMFIELD 10, Shiprock 0

The Bloomfield High School girls soccer team has been on a roll of late, winning their fourth straight game on Tuesday in a 10-0 rout on the road over Shiprock.

Junior Desirea Gurule scored four goals, while sophomore Ella Serrano added three goals to lead the Lady Bobcats to the win. Alivia Waite scored a pair of goals while Avenicia DeHerrera also found the back of the net in the district opener for Bloomfield, who improve their record on the season to 6-4-1 while outscoring their opponents by a combined margin of 54-20.

The Lady Bobcats entered the week ranked ninth in Class 4A according to MaxPreps, and will be back in action Thursday on the road against Aztec while Shiprock (0-8, 0-2 district) is scheduled to travel to Kirtland Central on Thursday at 6 p.m.

KIRTLAND CENTRAL 10, Gallup 0

Senior Jesse Garcia scored three goals, while junior Kymri Manning and sophomore Whitney Haws each scored a pair of goals to lead the Kirtland Central girls soccer team to a 10-0 rout on the road over Gallup.

The Lady Broncos (8-3 overall, 2-0 District 1-4A) also got goals from senior Sydney Smith, as well as junior Kayleigh Coolidge and freshman Shilynn Morgan as the team extended their win streak to six straight.

The Lady Broncos entered the week ranked fifth by MaxPreps in Class 4A and are scheduled to host Shiprock on Thursday at 6 p.m.

SANDIA 2, Farmington 0

The Sandia High School girls soccer team kicked off their district campaign at home on Tuesday, getting a goal apiece from sophomore Leilani Clark and junior Ayla Dils on their way to a 2-0 shutout win over Farmington.

The Lady Matadors, ranked fifth in the state in Class 5A according to MaxPreps, scored both their goals in the second half as they improve to 8-3 on the season. Farmington (5-3-2 overall, 0-1 District 2-5A) has lost their last two matches.

"We had plenty of opportunities to score and just couldn't find the net," said Lady Scorpions head coach Bryce Frost. "We had no problem moving the ball around and our defense was able to hold strong."

Farmington will be on the road Saturday at 11 a.m. when they tangle with West Mesa.

ELDORADO 6, Piedra Vista 0

The Eldorado High girls soccer team bounced back after suffering their first loss of the season last week, scoring three times in both the first and second half in a 6-0 win at home over Piedra Vista.

The Golden Eagles (8-1-1 overall, 1-0 District 2-5A) got a pair of goals from senior Maddie Blatner, as well as scoring strikes from Haley Robinson, Rowan Levandoski, Riley Espinoza and Sofia Gurule. Levandoski is the team's leading scorer, with eight goals and one assist this season.

Eldorado entered the district campaign ranked third in the Class 5A polls according to MaxPreps, while Piedra Vista (5-4-2, 0-1 district) will be in search of their first district win when they visit La Cueva on Saturday at 1:15 p.m.

Boys Soccer

SANDIA 5, Farmington 2

The Sandia High School boys soccer team scored three goals in the first half before adding a pair of goals in the second half, opening their district campaign with a 5-2 win over Farmington at Hutchison Stadium.

The Matadors (6-4-1, 1-0 District 2-5A) were led by senior Connor Cousins, who scored a pair of goals in the win. He was aided in the victory by goals from Ian Carroll, as well as Jake Rivas and Rider Pier.

The Matadors, who lost in the Class 5A state championship last year to Santa Fe, led Tuesday's match 3-0 after the first half of play. Farmington's goals in the second half came from senior Kurtis Moore and junior Michael Montoya.

The Scorpions have lost two in a row and fall to 6-5 on the season (0-1 District 2-5A). Farmington will be home on Saturday at 11 a.m. to face West Mesa.

ELDORADO 9, Piedra Vista 1

The Eldorado High School boys soccer team opened their district campaign on the road Tuesday afternoon, outscoring Piedra Vista by a final of 9-1.

The Golden Eagles snapped a four-match winless streak with the victory and improve their record on the season to 3-4-3, (1-0 District 2-5A).

The Panthers (3-7-1 overall, 0-1 district) will be at home Saturday at 1 p.m. to face La Cueva.

KIRTLAND CENTRAL 10, Gallup 0

The Kirtland Central boys soccer team rolled over Gallup 10-0 in the district opener for both teams Tuesday afternoon at Bill Cawood Field.

The Broncos (4-6-3 overall, 1-0 District 1-4A) are in the middle of a three-game unbeaten streak, while Gallup falls to 0-10 overall on the season.

Kirtland Central will be back in action Tuesday at 7 p.m. when they visit Miyamura.

BAYFIELD 5, Bloomfield 0

The Bloomfield Bobcats boys soccer team wrapped up their non-district season losing 5-0 on the road Tuesday afternoon against Bayfield.

The Wolverines scored three goals in the first half followed by a pair of goals in the second half. They were led by freshman Ayden Casillas, who found the back of the net three times. Senior Gavin Larson and junior Shae Railback also scored a goal in the win.

Bloomfield (3-7 overall) will open their District 1-4A campaign on Thursday at 6 p.m. when they host Aztec at Bobcat Stadium.