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Bulldogs boys soccer evens league record

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Ramona High School’s boys soccer team finished the week with a 3-3 record in Valley League play.

A 2-0 win Jan. 25 at Valley Center and a 3-1 victory Jan. 27 at home over San Marcos gave the Bulldogs a winning league record prior to the 3-1 loss to the Mount Carmel on Jan. 29. The three games also gave Ramona a 9-6-1 overall record for the 2009-10 season.

The Bulldogs were originally scheduled to travel to Valley Center on Jan. 20, but that week’s rains forced postponement of that game as well as the Jan. 22 match against Westview. Ramona and Valley Center were scoreless in the first half, but midway in the second half Blake Charbonneau’s long throw-in was headed into the net by freshman Ali Aparicio.

“We’ve been working on these long throw-ins,” said Ramona coach Michael Jordan.

The goal made up for a first-half shot by Aparicio which may or may not have crossed the goal line. All of the ball must be over all of the goal line for a goal to be scored, and the referee ruled that the shot was not a goal.

With three minutes remaining in the game, Eddie Delgado dribbled through three defenders, dribbled parallel with the front of the goal, and passed to Chris Huber. Huber then put the ball into the net for the Bulldogs’ second goal.

Ramona goalkeeper Jake Venolia recorded the shutout with help from his defenders. Charbonneau was Ramona’s stopper, Walker Poortinga played sweeper, Carlos Bustos and Marco Sanchez each played a half in the outside defender position, and Nestor Dinero was the Bulldogs’ other outside defender.

The win broke a two-match league losing streak for the Bulldogs, and it was also Ramona’s first league road win of the season.

“To go up to a pretty hostile environment at their place and beat them was a very nice result,” Jordan said.

Ramona will host Valley Center on February 12, which will be Senior Night for the Bulldogs.

Ramona led San Marcos 1-0 at halftime.

“It was a pretty equal game,” Jordan said. “We created more scoring opportunities.”

David Downing created a scoring opportunity midway in the first half that was converted into the Bulldogs’ first goal. In the second half Chris Huber beat a defender before passing to Andy Garcia, who gave the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead with a shot into the net.

Jordan put in Ramona’s reserves after attaining the two-goal lead, although with a 20-man roster some starters remained in the game. Charbonneau was one of the remaining starters, and his throw-in to substitute Leo Romero was headed into the net by Romero to give the Bulldogs a 3-0 lead. San Marcos took away the shutout by scoring with approximately one minute remaining.

Ramona had opened league play with a win over Mount Carmel.

“I think that they had a little bit of revenge on their minds,” Jordan said. “We know that we can play with them, but winning on the road is tough.”

The Sundevils scored the first half’s only goal and took a 2-0 lead before Garcia beat a defender to score an unassisted goal.

A direct kick near the end of the game gave the Sundevils their third goal.

The game was the first during the 2009-10 season in which the Bulldogs had allowed more than two goals.

“I think that was a matter of pride for our defense and our goalkeeper,” Jordan said.

The Bulldogs will host Orange Glen tomorrow if weather doesn’t determine otherwise.

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