Speed lifts Bulldogs over Gators - Sports

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Feb. 20, 2008
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Speed lifts Bulldogs over Gators

Fast forwards Mosley, Skelton team for lone goal in area title game

By DAMON SEITERS
REVIEW-JOURNAL

High School Soccer

Green Valley's Jessie Cahill, left, pressures Centennial's Debbie McLaughlin as she tries to control the ball Tuesday in the second half of the Southern Nevada soccer championship at Bettye Wilson Park.
Photo by Craig L. Moran.

A couple of bursts of speed turned out to be all Centennial's girls soccer team needed Tuesday.

Speedsters Ashley Mosley and Bethanie Skelton hooked up on the game's only goal as the Bulldogs beat Green Valley 1-0 for the Southern Nevada championship at Bettye Wilson Park.

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"Our forwards are really fast, and that definitely helped," Centennial goalkeeper Jenna Riddle said. "They outran those girls completely."

Riley Bassett chipped a pass over the top of the Gators' defense to start the play. Mosley beat a defender and the Green Valley goalkeeper to the ball inside the box, and she rolled a pass in front of the net for Skelton, who beat the rest of the defense for the point-blank shot in the game's 26th minute.

"Her speed is just phenomenal," Bulldogs coach Bernie Preston said of Mosley. "And actually, Bethanie is faster.

"That was just a really nice finish, and it set the tone for the game."

The goal turned out to be enough for Riddle, who had four saves to record her fourth postseason shutout. Riddle didn't face many particularly difficult shots but came off the Centennial goal line on several occasions to break up plays.

"She came off her line really well, and she did make a couple good saves," Preston said. "She came off her line and did some good stuff, and she's been doing that all year long. Jenna does the stuff to keep us in the game."

Green Valley turned up the heat in the second half, and had a string of free-kick opportunities, but was unable to net the tying goal.

"You've got to give them a lot of credit," Gators coach William Naftaly said. "They outhustled us at times. The second half, we played great, we just couldn't score on them."

Preston said he was disappointed his team didn't come out in the second half with the same intensity.

"I think the second half we really played not to lose," Preston said. "I wish they would have pressed hard, because I think we would have gotten a couple more goals, especially on the right side with little Ashley Mosley. She's just unbelievable."

The Gators outscored opponents 17-1 to win the Sunrise Region championship, only to fall in the Southern Nevada championship game for the third straight year.

"I told them all year long they're the best in the city, and I really believe that," Preston said of his squad. "I told them to play like champions and win. The entire tournament, we've really taken it to some really tough teams."

Said Riddle: "It's amazing. It still hasn't really hit me yet, but it just feels so good."

Contact Prep Sports Editor Damon Seiters at dseiters@reviewjournal.com or (702) 380-4587.

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Please enter your name Name: Please enter your email Email: Please enter a comment COMMENTS : (word count limit is 300) You have reached the maximum number of words allowed Current Word Count: Note: Comments made by reporters and editors of the Las Vegas Review-Journal are presented with a yellow background. yaaayyyy! wrote on February 28, 2008 09:21 AM: Congrats Lady Bulldogs! For those of you who know the team and this specific group of ladies personally, you definitely know that they worked incredibly hard to earn this amazing accomplishment. It was well earned. As for the "biased article", I guess that what you get when one team wins. The article is about the WINNING TEAM. I'm sure if Green Valley had won, this would have been more about Green Valley. Just a thought! Proud Mom wrote on February 25, 2008 12:32 PM: I am the proud mom of one of the Centennial players. I have to say that was the best game that I seen all year. All of the girls on the field wanted the win. GV and CHS should be so proud of themselves. You had to walk off of that field with your head held high win or lose. Congrats to all of the girls and wonderful job by both coaches. spectator wrote on February 22, 2008 08:49 AM: If you were at the game you can agree with me in saying that yes the Bulldogs had a speedy offense but they did not blow past the GV defense. In fact, I would like to remind everyone that GV's #9 tracked down every girl who supposedly "blew past" the Gators defense. I guess I should say that if that statement was true then the score should have been a lot more than 1-0 inless those speedy girls can't make a shot on frame...take your pick. Congrats Bulldogs, this article was just a little too biased for me but you earned the win. Good job spectator wrote on February 22, 2008 08:46 AM: I'm disappointed that the coach couldn't say anything nice about the GV team. Be classy after a win like that. GV Player wrote on February 20, 2008 07:36 PM: I do believe GV is the only one to play in the state championship game for three years in a row. Centennial is a great team and the game could have easily gone either way. They scored and we didn't. We have nothing to be ashamed of, we had an awesome season and we overcame multiple obstacles to get where we did. We are a great group of girls who are going far in life and will continue to tear up the soccer fields at several universities across the country. Congratulations to Centennial for the win. Gv, isn't four years a long time to carry a grudge? It is very childish for you to try to tear down the accomplishments of 23 young ladies because of a grudge. We worked hard to get where we did and we deserved everything we achieved! Gv wrote on February 20, 2008 09:14 AM: Lets see....In the last 5 years I belive the count is 3 Southern Nevada championship for Centennial, 2 Southern Nevada championships for Palo Verde and 0 Southern Nevada championships for Gv......Wonder why? Gv girls, congratulations on another winning season, you are the best team in the sunrise region again.....