Prep boys’ soccer: Fourth-ranked Rio Americano nets rivalry win over Christian Brothers

Rio Americano knocked off Christian Brothers 1-0 in a rivalry boys’ soccer game Tuesday night that has implications for the Capital Athletic League and bragging rights between the two teams.

It was an even matchup, with constant back-and-forth possession of the ball the entire game. It wasn’t until 25 minutes were left in the second half that the break came. With the game still scoreless, Raiders forward Andrew Collins dribbled past his defender on the ride side of the box and swung a shot into the bottom left of the goal.

Collins has been playing soccer for 11 years. The moment was a long time coming.

“I worked hard for it [goal] and I was grinding for it the whole game,” he said. “I know a few kids on (Christian Brothers), I play club with them, so it was really fun playing against them.”

With the Raiders up 1-0, emotions were high late into the match. Falcons goalkeeper Gabe Eshleman received a yellow card for some comments after Collins’ goal.

“It was a tough battle. We all expected CB to come out and have high energy and make it difficult for us. I am really proud of how we just kept plugging away, and the goal we scored is the result of that willingness to keep battling,” said Rio head coach Antonio Sutton.

Trailing by one, the Falcons pressed the attack. With 15 minutes left in the game, CB defender Aedan Carroll had an attempt at a long freekick. About 30 yards out from the box, drilled the crossbar. Raider goalie Nate Heron just barely got a hand on it, saving the goal.

“The boys played a good game; we were solid in the back and that really helped us push us without making mistakes. One thing with the defense is being big and getting to every ball. That really helps to not let any balls through,” said Heron. “That one (free kick) was a little scary. I mistimed it and it almost got over my head.”

The final minutes of the game came with another level of energy from the players on both teams. It’s often like that, and Tuesday night was no different.

“It’s like a playoff game,” Sutton said. “Every time we play them it is a big battle, and it is good preparation for when it is actual playoffs.”

It’s definitely not too soon to talk about playoffs. The regular season will wrap up in two weeks. It’s likely fourth-ranked Rio Americano and Christian Brothers won’t lose another game this season before their final game; the two schools have a rematch scheduled for Feb. 3. Winning rivalry games is fun but earning a playoff spot and making noise in the Sac-Joaquin Section is what it’s all about.

“Every win means so much. It’s another mark on the sheet that gets us closer to going to playoffs,” Heron said.

This story was originally published January 19, 2022 at 11:57 AM.