Righetti’s girls took all five of the first-half shots in this soccer game Wednesday night, but the Warriors had nothing to show for it at intermission.

Righetti kept up the pressure in the second half, and the Warriors broke through. Sophomore Sierra Duarte scored in the 13th minute then. Fellow sophomore Lara Wilson put in a penalty kick in the 17th, and the Warriors beat Paso Robles 2-0 at Righetti High School’s Warrior Stadium.

The Warriors (11-2-0 overall) triumphed in their PAC-7 League opener. The Bearcats dropped to 0-2 in the PAC-7 with their second narrow league loss. Paso Robles hasn’t scored in league games.

Righetti’s next game is at 6 p.m. Friday at Atascadero. That one is another league game.

The Bearcats couldn’t score Wednesday night partly because Bridgette Wilson dominated the midfield area for Righetti before the break. Paso Robles didn’t get off a shot in the first half.

“Bridgette has been playing great at midfield for us,” said Wilson.

Third-year Righetti coach Ricky Velasco said, “Bridgette is one of the (three) seniors we have, and she has really given us some strong senior leadership.”

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Wilson left the game late with what looked like an upper body injury. Her condition was not known at press time.

Duarte scored just before, “I fell,” she said with a chuckle. “My cleats are worn down.”

Duarte was slipping as she connected on a shot from 22 yards out as two Paso Robles defenders closed in on her.

“I was aiming for the left side of the net,” said Duarte. That’s where her shot ended up.

Someone fouled Duarte in the penalty box about four minutes after her score. Wilson drilled her penalty shot into the net not far from where Duarte’s shot ended up.

Righetti’s defense made sure the goals held up.

Velasco said, “Our defense has been really strong. It really helped to have Cheyenne (Martinez-Trevino) back, and Lindsay Reade played a really strong game back there for us.”

Velasco said Martinez-Trevino had missed some games for disciplinary reasons.

Wilson said, “It was really good to have her back. She’s a really good defender.”

Duarte and Wilson acknowledged that the first half was frustrating for the Warriors. They had three near-misses.

Wilson’s goal was waved off on a hand ball call. Shortly thereafter, she took a shot that hit the right post and bounced away. Later, a Righetti forward tried to corral a good pass for an open shot, but the ball got away from her and Paso Robles goal keeper Megan Donovan grabbed it.

“We always do that,” Duarte said of the Warriors’ missed first-half chances. “We were able to get some scores in the second half, though.”

After being completely throttled in the first half, the Bearcats stepped up their attack in the second.

Righetti sophomore goal keeper Shannon Reese was up to the challenge. She stopped the Bearcats’ first shot of the game, Nicole Calabria’s hard grounder in the 18th minute of the second half.

Paso Robles took just two shots Wednesday night. Reese, though, came out of the box six times after halftime to grab the ball and short-circuit Bearcats threats.

“That was her fourth shutout of the year, I believe,” Velasco said.

Duarte and Wilson were both on the Righetti squad that finished fourth in the PAC-7 last year and got the league’s last playoff berth.

This year, “We want to win the league championship,” they said in unison.

Velasco said, “I think we’re a little deeper than we were last year. We have 17 solid players this year.”

AG 1, Atascadero 1 (2 OT)

Arroyo Grande (11-1-3, 1-1) finally broke through in the first overtime, only to watch Atascadero sneak its lone goal into the net in the final minute.

Ashley Roese’s goal in the 89th minute, assisted by Kate Reinhardt, put the Eagles up 1-0 in the first overtime, coming after the game remained tied at 0-all at the end of regulation.

Unfortunately for the Eagles, Atascadero’s Jamie Counsel sent a ball off the post and into the goal in the 99th minute to preserve a tie for the host Greyhounds.

Arroyo Grande goalie Caitlin Feilzer finished with seven saves.

Girls basketball

St. Joseph 64, Morro Bay 38

The Knights (1-0, 12-1) out-scored the Pirates 17-2 the first quarter and rolled from there in this LPL opener at Morro Bay.

Ane McPike and Aly Beebe scored 18 points each for St. Joseph.

Lompoc 45, Templeton 28

Cameron Lizarraga scored 14 points and Denee Lane put in nine as the Braves (4-8 overall) breezed at their Paisola Pavilion in their Los Padres League opener.

Lompoc, ahead 14-11 after one quarter, out-scored the Eagles (0-1 LPL) 11-3 in the second.

AG 52, Atascadero 49

The Eagles (2-0, 12-3) held off a Greyhounds second-half rally at Atascadero.

Arroyo Grande kept just enough of a 27-14 halftime lead to win this PAC-7 League game.

Madi Ventura led Arroyo Grande with 11 points. Jenna Sverchek put in 10. Alyssa Palma scored a game-high 16 points for Atascadero (1-1 PAC-7).

In other area girls basketball action, Righetti started its PAC-7 League season by defeating Paso Robles 51-40 at Righetti, and Santa Ynez downed Cabrillo 49-40 in a Los Padres League opener at Santa Ynez.

January 08, 2009