Carson boys win match, lose coach

It was a bittersweet night for Carson High's boys soccer team.

Jason Martinez scored two goals to lead the Senators to a 4-3 win Tuesday, but they will play their first-round playoff game on Friday without head coach Nate Brigham, who was ejected midway through the second half, and will miss one game.

Brigham picked up a yellow card within the first 10 minutes of the game and then received another yellow in the second half for disputing a call. Joe Briggs, the head JV coach, will run the team in the playoff opener.

"I thought we played great in the first half getting that 3-0 lead," Brigham said. "The second half we had to go against the wind. Then it snowed, and I think the game got sloppy."

Carson dominated the opening half, scoring three goals on only seven shots.

The Senators' first goal was textbook in every way. On a corner kick, Izzy Lopez bent the ball to Nate Eng, who headed it toward the far post and Martinez connected on another header that got by the South Tahoe goalie in the 26th minute.

Six minutes later, Javier Barrios blasted one into the left side of the net. Less than two minutes later Carson added another as Lopez outran the South Tahoe defense to get to a through ball from goalie Pedro Chavez, which he calmly put past the Tahoe keeper.

"Izzy does a good job of staying under control (in those situations)," Brigham said. "He places the ball instead of trying to overpower it."

South Tahoe did a nice job playing with the wind in the final 40 minutes, scoring all three of its goals.

After cutting the lead to 3-2 in the 63rd minute on goals by Ryan Caro and Fernando Gomez, Martinez took a through ball and beat the South Tahoe defense for his second goal to make it 4-2. Caro's second goal with approximately two minutes left came from about 30 yards to make it 4-3, and Chavez didn't appear to see it until it was too late.

"I don't think Pedro saw the ball," said Brigham, who watched the final minutes from his car next to the field.

Carson was able to run out the clock without any further damage.

"A little late for the playoffs and a little late in the game," South Tahoe coach Chris DeLeon said. "We left them unmarked in that first half, and you can't do that against a good team like Carson."

JUNIOR VARSITY

CARSON 2, S. TAHOE 0

Carlos Munoz and Francisco Barrios each scored a goal to lead Carson to the win over South Tahoe.

The Senators wrapped up their fourth league title, finishing 12-1-1 in league and 13-1-2 overall.