PREP SOCCER: Rogers blanks crosstown rival Heritage

ROGERS -- Jourdan Badely netted a goal just three minutes in, and five different Rogers Lady Mounties scored in a 6-0 shutout over crosstown rival Rogers Heritage on Friday at David Gates Stadium.

Badely had two goals in the match and Rogers (5-2-2, 5-2 6A-West) also got contributions scoring from Allison Golden, Hannah Hatfield, Kristen Babbitt, and Kendall Green.

Rogers girls soccer coach Oscar Cardona gave credit to his team's mental toughness to start the match strong.

"I told our goals to go out there with high intensity, and that's exactly what they did," he said. "It is just a mentality thing, too, because you have to practice that way. You can't just start off slow."

Cardona substituted goalies at half as an opportunity to build some confidence for freshman keeper Marlene Martinez. She recorded a save and preserved the 4-0 lead Rogers built in the first half.

"We rotated her in there to give her some time, and she came out big and had a great stop near the end," Cardona said. "I was happy with that. She stepped up to the plate for a freshman goalie who usually plays JV."

He wants the Lady Mounties to continue playing with an ultimate mission in mind.

"It boosts our confidence, and just keeps us going knowing what our end goal is," he said. "We want to make it all the way to the state tournament and be ready for the teams we face there. A game like this boosts our confidence."

Rogers will host Bentonville West on April 19, while Heritage will look for its second win of the season April 13 against Springdale.

Boys

Heritage 1, Rogers 0

Brandon Gallardo's goal off an assist from Issac Arce two minutes into the second half proved to be enough for Heritage to knock off Rogers on a windy Friday evening.

The win came in front of a large War Eagle fan base, something coach Christhian Saavedra thought motivated his team.

"Keep it coming because it helps the boys out, and gives them more energy," he said. "I'm happy that people are supporting and coming out to these games. Hopefully, we are making it worth their money."

The crowd was on its feet for a Rogers side-out kick with 30 seconds left in the match following a late yellow card issued on Heritage. The War Eagles' defense held strong, deflecting a shot at the goal to secure the win.

"Anytime you can beat your in-town rivals, it's a good night," Saavedra said.

The victory kept Heritage undefeated on the season, something that will once again be put to test in the team's next matchup, a home contest Tuesday against 6A-West-leading Springdale.

Rogers will look to rebound when it travels to Fort Smith Southside for a conference game on Tuesday.

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