The Oak Ridge Wildcats boys’ soccer team won the District 3-AAA championship with a 4-0 shutout win over Central at the Oak Ridge Soccer Complex on Friday, May 12, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)
This story was last updated at 12 a.m.
Oak Ridge won the District 3-AAA soccer championship on Friday, shutting out Central 4-0 at home.
It’s the fourth year in a row that the Oak Ridge boys’ soccer team has won the district championship.
The Wildcats, who were undefeated in the district this season, will now play the loser of the District 4-AAA championship game in a Region 2-AAA semifinal at the Oak Ridge Soccer Complex on Tuesday.
Oak Ridge doesn’t know which team it will play yet. The District 4-AAA championship game between Maryville and Farragut is scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday at Maryville.
Central, the District 3 runner-up, will play at the home of the District 4 champion.
The Wildcats were the top seed in the District 3 tournament, and the Bobcats were the number two seed. Oak Ridge had roughly a two-to-one shot advantage over Central on Friday.
Oak Ridge was led by senior forward Austin Vinyard, who signed with Maryville College on Thursday, with two goals. That two-goal performance came two days after a four-goal, one-assist game during a 6-0 semifinal shutout of Halls on Wednesday.
Also scoring for the Wildcats against Central on Friday were Matthew Malagon and Casey Nigh.
Malagon, a senior midfielder, scored an unassisted goal in the fourth minute on the second shot of the game for Oak Ridge. Senior forward Masa Kato, who was in front of the net, passed to Malagon on the left side of the field. Malagon’s shot appeared to go in off a Central defender as Bobcats goalkeeper Tyler Buckner dove to his right to try to make the save.
Vinyard scored in the 21st minute on a roughly 60-yard kick lobbed into the air by senior defender Dean Stetzel.
Nigh scored an unassisted goal with about 33 seconds left in the first half, threading the soccer ball just under the crossbar and just off Buckner’s outstretched hands.
Vinyard scored the final goal for the Wildcats in the 52nd minute. He battled down the right side of the field, got around Bobcat defender Michael Duarte on the endline, and showing patience, drilled the ball into the left side of the net.
“We played well,” Oak Ridge Coach Jeff Trombly said. “You get the early goals, you discourage them.”
Oak Ridge senior forward Austin Vinyard (9) scored two goals during a 4-0 shutout win over Central in the District 3-AAA championship game at the Oak Ridge Soccer Complex on Friday, May 12, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)
Oak Ridge sophomore midfielder John Belbeck (8) is pictured above during a 4-0 shutout win over Central in the District 3-AAA championship game at the Oak Ridge Soccer Complex on Friday, May 12, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)
Oak Ridge senior midfielder Brent Robinson (6) is pictured above during a 4-0 shutout win over Central in the District 3-AAA championship game at the Oak Ridge Soccer Complex on Friday, May 12, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)
Oak Ridge senior forward Masa Kato (5) is pictured above during a 4-0 shutout win over Central in the District 3-AAA championship game at the Oak Ridge Soccer Complex on Friday, May 12, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)
Oak Ridge junior midfielder Casey Nigh (12) scored one goal during a 4-0 shutout win over Central in the District 3-AAA championship game at the Oak Ridge Soccer Complex on Friday, May 12, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)
More information will be added as it becomes available.
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