Quincy brings Basin Challenge Cup back home with 3-1 victory over Ephrata
Rodney Harwood/Columbia Basin HeraldEphrata midfielder Noe Sanchez (10) heads the ball away from Quincy defender Benjamin Bazan (2) during Tuesday's CWAC match in Ephrata.
Rodney Harwood/Columbia Basin HeraldQuincy midfielder Arturo Aramburo controls the ball on a throw-in during the first half of Tuesday's CWAC match at Ephrata.
EPHRATA — The tackles had that extra pop. The fight for the 50-50 ball was just a little more intense and play in the box was as if their life depended on it.
Ephrata upended No. 1 Selah over the weekend to make Tuesday’s Basin Challenge Cup match with Quincy mean something in the playoff chase.
Where the Tigers (5-7-2, 3-5) were fighting for their CWAC district tournament lives, the Quincy Jacks were fighting to bring the Cup home and secure their fifth seeding in the district tournament.
Quincy did both with an intense 3-1 victory at Tiger Field. Chepe Lopez tied a 1-nil game in the 15th minute. Two minutes later, Tachiz Lopez gave the Jacks (6-5-3, 5-3) the lead and they never relinquished it no matter how wild the fight that followed.
“We kept our heads and just kept pushing harder. It was intense, but that’s how soccer is,” Quincy midfielder Arturo Aramburo said. “It’s supposed to be a contact sport. We just stayed within our game plan, because our goal is to get back to the state tournament.”
Luis Rodriguez gave the Tigers the lead early with a goal off an assist from Tony ONeel and it looked like Ephrata might ride the wave of momentum it generated when they took out the CWAC leaders to keep their playoff hopes alive.
“We had to throw everything in the fire and see what happens,” Ephrata coach Ivan Garay said. “We needed to win and that’s how we played. When they scored their second goal, you have to play a little bit different when you’re playing from behind. It was a turning point because we went from trying to score at that point instead of possessing. But it was just a good physical match and we played like it meant something.”
The Jacks finally scored again in the 77th minute when Yordi Coronel sealed the deal with the late goal to ensure the Basin Challenge Cup returned to Quincy.
“We knew they were going to be fighting for their lives and we were going to take a punch. But we were never knocked down,” said Quincy coach Arturo Guerrero. “We made some mistakes that allowed them to score, but we came back.
“We played with fire and we wanted to win so bad and we showed what we can do going forward.”
Toppenish (13-2, 7-1) and Selah (11-2-1, 7-1) remain in a tie at the top with one match remaining in the regular season. Quincy won its fifth CWAC match, moving into a tie with Grandview (6-8. 5-3) at fourth.
The Tigers are not eliminated. If they can beat Othello (10-4-1, 4-4) they can move into a tie for sixth place.
Quincy 2 1 - 3
Ephrata 1 0 - 1
E - Luis Rodriguez (Tony ONeel)
Q - Chepe Lopez, 5:06
Q - Tachiz Lopez (Saul Buenrosto), 8:51
Q - Yordi Coronel, 77:30