Jaguars outlast Green Wave JV for Cup title

LOWELL — Dale Rauch has been playing soccer only a year and a half, but he’s already making a difference.

The Forestview junior scored the only goal of Saturday’s Gazette Cup championship game, giving the Jaguars a 1-0 overtime victory over Ashbrook at Poston Park.

“Pretty lucky,” Rauch simply said of the biggest goal of his young career.

Forestview has won nine titles in the event’s 19-year history — more than any other team. South Point captured its eighth championship last year but didn’t return to defend its title. Ashbrook has taken the trophy back home twice.

Rauch’s header found the net in the seventh minute of the first overtime period after Hunter Ballard set him up with a perfectly placed corner kick.

“It’s his first time playing varsity and really has stepped up and worked hard,” Forestview coach Trey McKeown said of Rauch. “He definitely led with his play and hustle tonight.”

Ashbrook put its junior varsity team on the field while its varsity members participated in a separate tournament at the same time. Those players traveled to Charlotte for a test against a strong South Mecklenburg team in the Cure for Cancer tournament.

“Not to take anything away from Forestview, but the boys have big plans this season,” Ashbrook coach Joel Webb said. “We needed them to get a good quality non-conference game in. We’ll see Forestview two more times.”

Forestview wasn’t full strength. Cody Bridges injured his knee earlier in the week and expects to receive MRI results on Tuesday. Another key player, David Gibbons, went out with a double yellow card late in the second half.

Third place: Hunter Huss 1, Gaston Day 0 — Seth Jones scored off a Lucio Morales kick to give the Huskies their second win in the tournament.

Fifth place: Highland Tech 3, East Gaston 1 (OT) — Highland Tech scored twice in the second 10-minute overtime period to take fifth place. Owen Levy, Aaron Marlowe and Jon Alliss scored one goal each, Max Fletcher assisted one goal and Matt Farmer recorded five saves in goal for the Rams. Matthew Fletcher scored East Gaston’s goal off an assist from Jorge Perez.

Phillip Gardner: 704-869-1843; twitter.com/gazettephil

Gazette Cup history

Championship results

1993: South Point 4, Ashbrook 2

1994: South Point 1, Ashbrook 0

1995: South Point 4, Ashbrook 3

1996: South Point 3, Ashbrook 1

1997: South Point 2, Ashbrook 1

1998: South Point 4, Forestview 1

1999: Ashbrook 4, Forestview 3 (Ashbrook 4-3 on PKs)

2000: Forestview 3, Ashbrook 0

2001: Forestview 3, Hunter Huss 1

2002: Forestview 2, Ashbrook 1

2003: Forestview 5, Ashbrook 1

2004: Forestview 2, Ashbrook 0

2005: Forestview 2, Ashbrook 0

2006: Forestview 3, Ashbrook 0

2007: South Point 1, Forestview 0

2008: Ashbrook 1, South Point 0

2009: Forestview 2, Ashbrook 0

2010: South Point 3, Ashbrook 2

2011: Forestview 1, Ashbrook 0 (OT)

Championship appearances

School                 App.        Titles

Forestview            12            9

South Point           9             8

Ashbrook              16            2

Hunter Huss          1             0