The Roaring Fork High School boys soccer team played the state’s seventh-ranked 3A team to a scoreless tie on Saturday, Sept. 20, an outcome that in turn propelled the Rams into the top 10.
The physical bout produced multiple yellow cards for both teams, landed one Timnath player in the hospital with a shoulder injury, left another sprawled on the sideline with a charlie horse toward the end of the game and resulted in one Cubs’ booer being ejected from the stands by the referee.
“Yea, it was a physical game,” Rams Coach Nick Forbes said.
But it’s the kind of game they need to be prepared for come state playoff time, he said.
“We certainly stood up to the challenge and had a few chances to win it, as the other team also did,” Forbes said. “But proud of the team for staying calm and matching the physicality without getting emotionally ruffled.”
Much of the kerfuffle took place at midfield, where Roaring Fork and Timnath battled to put together the occasional scoring run. The Cubs, who held the No. 7 ranking coming into the match, controlled the pace and had more shots on goal. But the Rams keeper, junior Quentin Galbraith, was up to the task, recording several key saves.
The closest the Cubs would come to scoring was in the second half, when the ball squirted away from Galbraith in front of the goal and a Timnath player put it in. The goal was called off for an offsides penalty, though.
Timnath’s stout defense kept the Rams at bay all game, except for a few close runs at the goal by senior Eli Norris and junior Cal Stone.
Coming out of the weekend, the Rams (4-1-1, 2-0 in the 3A Western Slope League) were given the No. 9 ranking among 3A teams in the state, and Timnath (4-0-3) dropped to No. 8.
Roaring Fork was set to host Grand Junction Central for a nonleague match on Wednesday night. The result was not available by press time.
Next: At Basalt, Tuesday, Sept. 30, 4pm; then home vs. Delta, Thursday, Oct. 2, 6pm (homecoming game).
Rams volleyball regroups
Roaring Fork’s girls volleyball team rebounded from a rough three-game losing streak to claim a 3-2 home win over Southern Routt (Soroco) on Monday, Sept. 22 (28-26, 25-20, 23-25, 14-25, 15-6).
The Rams (3-9, 1-2) were at Olathe on Tuesday. The game result was not available by deadline for this report.
Next: Versus Aspen, Thursday, Sept. 25, 6:30pm; vs. Gunnison, Friday, Oct. 3, 6pm (homecoming game).
In other action …
Girls softball: Saturday, Sept. 20 double header, Montrose 14, Basalt 2, and Montrose 16, Basalt 1.
Boys tennis: Basalt 1, Steamboat Springs 6, Friday, Sept. 19, match win at No. 1 singles Fritz Simmons def. Ibrokhim Nuriddinov (4-6, 7-6, 10-6 tiebreak).
Basalt 4, Durango 3, Saturday, Sept. 20, match wins at No. 1 singles Simmons def. Mikael Hofmann (6-1, 6-2), No. 2 singles Isaac Zevin def. Jack Cuthbertson (7-6, 6-2), No. 1 doubles Tyler Portman/Luke Dizon def. Issac Armstrong/Mason Philpott (6-4, 6-4), No. 2 doubles Jack Thornton/James Opp def. Logan Fish/Max McMillan (2-6, 6-4, 10-6 tiebreak). Next: vs. Grand Junction Central, Sept. 24, 3:30pm at Crown Mountain.
Cross country: CRMS at Anna Banana in Fruita, Saturday, Sept. 20, top female Kayla Steele, 11th (21:40.20 5K); top male Max Peterson, 43rd (20:02.80 5K).
Basalt at Woodbridge Classic, Irvine, California, Friday, Sept. 19, top male Towler Scott, 10th in White Varsity A division (15:06.2 3 miles); top females Addison Raymond, 46th White Varsity A division (19:31.3), and Scarlett Jones, 47th (19:32.3).
Mountain biking: Roaring Fork and CRMS at Leadville Cloud City Challenge, Saturday, Sept. 20, top varsity finisher for RFHS Quinn Carpenter, seventh; top varsity finishers for CRMS Hazel Lazar (girls points leader), first, and Drew O’Keefe, fifth varsity boys.