SUNSET REGION: Walugembe lifts Trailblazers from bottom, into semifinals

Just two seasons ago, Durango’s boys soccer program had sunk to the bottom of the Southwest League.

A perennial playoff contender, the Trailblazers were a 2-13-3 afterthought, and then first-year coach Harold Nichols was simply hoping to rebuild the program and keep players eligible.

The hard work paid off Monday.

Wasajja Walugembe’s second goal of the match came with three seconds left and lifted Durango to a 3-2 win over Cimarron-Memorial in a Sunset Region quarterfinal at Heritage Park.

The Trailblazers (12-3-3) will meet Sierra Vista, which stunned two-time state champion Legacy in another quarterfinal, at 6 p.m. Wednesday.

“Durango always had the talent, but it was always about the eligibility,” Nichols said. “These boys buckled down and maintained their grades and worked hard on the field. The players have been so committed. The coach is only as good as the players are.”

Durango qualified for the playoffs last season, but exited in the first round. Walugembe made sure that wouldn’t happen again.

After the Spartans (10-6-2) misfired on a header in the final minute, Walugembe raced the other way and took control of the ball about 40 yards out off a long upfield pass by Jeremy Allen.

He lost control of the ball, but regained it after a quick touch by teammate Raul Pacheco and fired a laser into the right side of the goal.

“I thought I lost it, but then I saw it there, and I thought 'why not take it?’” Walugembe said. “It feels great.”

Walugembe had given the Trailblazers a 2-1 lead just four minutes into the second half, scoring on a sharp-angle off a pass from Pacheco.

But the Spartans put on pressure and drew a foul in the 18-yard box with six minutes left.

Oso Valencia converted the penalty kick to tie the match.

Cimarron’s David Martinez and Durango’s Paris Estrada exchanged first-half goals.

Sierra Vista 2, Legacy 1 — Truitt Evans’ header two minutes into the second overtime allowed the Mountain Lions (7-7-3) to shock the Longhorns (11-5-1).

Juan Candido played a long ball down the right side of the field, and teammate Dominic Cardenas caught up to it just outside the box.

Cardenas sent an entry pass into the air, and Evans neatly redirected it high to the far side of the goal and out of the reach of Legacy goalkeeper Daniel Diaz, eliminating the winner of the last two Class 4A state titles.

“The boys played their heart out,” said Sierra Vista coach Ryan Quinn. “They believed the whole time. It just feels good to finally get a playoff win.”

Sierra Vista took a 1-0 lead midway through the first half on Max Vintilov’s goal and held the lead until the Longhorns’ Saul Aguirre netted the equalizer with 10 minutes to play in regulation.

Francisco Cruz made nine saves, including two robberies of would-be Aguirre goals.

Cruz stopped Aguirre’s penalty kick midway through the second half and barely poked away the potential match-winning goal off a header in the first overtime.

“He’s been huge for us all year,” Quinn said. “He’s been our anchor back there.”

The Longhorns played shorthanded after receiving a red card with two minutes left in the first overtime. 

Palo Verde 2, Centennial 1 — Josh Lockwood’s goal with 10 seconds remaining allowed the Northwest League champion Panthers (10-2-6) to edge the Bulldogs (11-5-3) and advance to a regional semifinal meeting against Bishop Gorman at 4 p.m. Wednesday.

Centennial goalkeeper Justin Anderson jumped to stop a shot from the right slot, but couldn’t control the ball, which fell behind him. Lockwood sneaked in from the left side to poke the ball into the net.

Both of the Panthers’ goals came on rebounds as Centennial’s Aidan Parker robbed Kyler Obata on a first-half penalty kick, but Obata crashed the net and slammed the loose ball past a prone Parker for the only goal of the first half.

Phillip Hopper tied the match five minutes into the second half, deflecting home a corner kick from Eric Sanchez.

Parker made six saves in the first half, and Anderson stopped four shots in the second half.

Bishop Gorman 3, Shadow Ridge 0 — Blake Balelo had a goal and an assist as the Gaels (10-2-2) eliminated the Mustangs (6-8-4).

Trace Doehrmann and Jorge Paez each added a second-half goal for Gorman, which got two assists from Sean Keith.

Thomas Olsen made three saves to earn the shutout for the Gaels.