STURGIS, S.D. — In a must win matchup for the Scoopers with playoff implications, 8th grader Taylor Colunga netted two goals in the final few minutes to give Sturgis a 3-1 victory over Douglas/Rapid City Christian/New Underwood on Tuesday night.
It was Scooper Soccer Senior Recognition Night at Woodle Field, with the Scoopers honoring seniors Cruz Chavez, Ben Doten, Ray Henderson, Brock Foster, Evan Johnson, Carson Pankratz, Dominik Smith and foreign exchange student Joanin Perez.
The Scoopers needed a win to keep their postseason hopes alive in class AA soccer.
The first half remained scoreless as time ticked away, when Chavez received a perfect cross to head the ball into the back of the Douglas net with just :14 seconds left before halftime. Scoopers led 1-0 headed into the break.
Douglas got on the scoreboard with 14 minutes gone in the second half on a 20-yard blast by Patriot senior Rodrigo Fernandez, knotting the score at 1-1.
The Scoopers squandered some chances midway through the second half, missing on some short shots near the Patriot goal.
Unlikely hero, 8th grader Taylor Colunga, came off the bench in the second half to provide a much needed spark to the Scooper offense. Colunga scored twice within a two-minute span to give Sturgis the lead with 6:14 to play, then sealing the win with 4:05 left to give the Scoopers a 3-1 win over Douglas. The victory keeps the Sturgis playoff hopes alive.
The Scoopers (5-9-1) finish their regular season at Hot Springs on Thursday.
