Shamrocks miscues prove costly in state finale

Gilbert Christian scores two unanswered goals to claim first AIA 3A state title in 2-1 win over Yuma Catholic.

PHOENIX (KYMA, KECY) - The Yuma Catholic boys soccer season began and ended against Gilbert Christian. The Shamrocks entered Saturday night's 3A title game in search for the program's first state championship since 2018. Gilbert Christian was in search of their very first ever.

For the second year in a row, the Knights were the number one seed. Last season, the Knight fells to Pusch Ridge in the title game. This year, Gilbert Christian found themselves on the ropes again.

Yuma Catholic struck first midway through the first half on a goal deep in the box from Jesus Serna. Gilbert Christian tied the score with just over five minutes remaining in the half, as Noah Cooper got by the Shamrock defense and placed a right footed shot past the Shamrocks goal keeper just inside the left post.

The game remained tied at one deep into the second half, Gilbert Christian broke the tie on a corner kick that was mishandled by the Shamrocks goalie, and buried into the back of the net by Gilbert Christian freshman, Kai Lundberg.

"You can't let a team get that many corner kicks, sooner or later one of them is going to go in," Shamrocks head coach Ralph Evans said. "It's just banging around in front of the goal. It's just bound to happen and you can't give them that many opportunities and expect every one of them to come out."

Yuma Catholic's lead and hopes for the program's eighth state title were dashed. The last time Yuma Catholic won a state title came back in 2018, they last appeared in the title game in 2020. For Gilbert Christian, it's the programs very first championship win.

"It is what it is," Evans said. "We had our chances to capitalize and we didn't do it. I told them going in it's probably going to come down to the team that makes the least amount of mistakes is the one that's going to win."

The Shamrocks began the season losing to Gilbert Christian 5-3 on December 2nd. The Shamrocks stood at 2-2 to start the season and ended 10-3 with another chance at the Knights in the end.

"I said after five or six games into the season, did any of you think we'd be here today," Shamrocks head coach Ralph Evans said. "None of them did. That just speaks greatly of the commitment and integrity of these players. I think they played a hell of a game today."