CHS football hosts Roxbury Prep Friday
The Chelsea High football team, which came up short in its contest with Somerville last week by a score of 13-6, will be seeking its second win of the season when the Red Devils host Roxbury Prep tomorrow (Friday) evening under the lights at Chelsea Stadium.
The opening kickoff is set for 6:00.
Two wins for CHS boys soccer
The Chelsea High boys soccer team enjoyed a successful week, defeating Greater Boston League (GBL) rivals Malden and Medford.
Last Tuesday’s match at Malden was a physical affair. “It was a shoulder-to- shoulder battle from the opening kickoff,” said CHS assistant coach William Estrada.
In one of those challenges, Red Devil captain Jose Joj was fouled in the opposing box and successfully converted the penalty kick (PK) for a 1-0 Chelsea lead.
“This opened up the game for us, as Malden was forced to push up some more and in doing so, they allowed some gaps in their defense,” said Estrada.
The Red Devils took full advantage, eventually resulting in Joj’s second goal of the contest for a 2-0 Chelsea margin at the intermission.
“The physicality continued all game,” noted Estrada. “We were playing well, but the 2-0 victory still didn’t feel secure.”
However, in the second half Alexander Gonzalez, who typically plays midfield, but took on the role of the Red Devils’ sole striker for this game, reached the back of the Golden Tornado net to make it 3-0 off a ball that rebounded toward him.
“The relief after this goal allowed us to cruise to the end of the game for our biggest victory of the season so far,” said Estrada.
Two days later on a rainy afternoon and slick field at Chelsea Stadium, the Red Devils hosted Medford and eked out a 1-0 victory.
“Passes were skidding all over the pitch, and players had to be more cautious when sprinting, so this was never going to be a high-scoring game,” said Estrada.
Chelsea made the most of a scoring chance 21 minutes into the first half when Gonzalez recovered the ball off a bad Medford touch. Alexander dribbled off, passing the ball to Brayan Andrade out on the wing. Brayan then moved to the left edge of the box, crossing it to Joj, who controlled it perfectly with one touch and smashed it into the back of the Mustang net for what would prove to be the game-winner.
Coach Mick Milutinovic and his crew, who stand at 4-2-1 on the season (3-2-1 in the GBL) , were scheduled to meet non-league opponent Cristo Rey this past Monday and Lynn Classical Tuesday. Then it’s on to Somerville today (Thursday) and down the Parkway to Everett next Tuesday.
CHS girls soccer battling well
The Chelsea High girls soccer team battled fiercely, but came up short in a pair of contests with Greater Boston League (GBL) rivals last week.
The Lady Red Devils hosted Malden last Tuesday, dropping a 3–1 decision.
:”The team showed determination throughout the game, continuing to press and fight until the final whistle,” said CHS head coach Randy Grajal.
Chelsea’s lone goal came in the closing minutes when sophomore Emili Rodriguez Rodriguez delivered a perfectly-placed pass to junior Yahira Jovel Rivas, who beat the Lady Golden Tornado keeper with a good finish.
In the Chelsea net, Briana Campos started and played well, making several key saves before being forced to come off in the second half after an injury. “Junior Andrea Mendez stepped in and did a tremendous job, keeping the team organized and composed for the remainder of the match,” said Grajal.
Last Thursday the Lady Red Devils traveled to Medford and faced the Lady Mustangs on a rainy day with challenging field conditions that included several large puddles. Despite the difficult circumstances, Chelsea battled hard throughout the match before falling by a score of 4-0.
“Medford relied on a strong passing attack and we worked tirelessly to match their pace,” said Grajal. “A few of our players picked up minor knocks, but showed toughness by returning to the game. We created some opportunities on the attack, but the conditions often disrupted play, with the ball getting stuck in the water and halting our momentum.
“Although the results didn’t go our way this week, the effort was there from start to finish,” Grajal added. “The team continues to focus on maintaining a positive attitude in all situations and is committed to bouncing back stronger in the games ahead.”
Grajal and his crew, who were scheduled to take on Cathedral this past Monday and Lynn Classical this past Tuesday, will host Somerville today (Thursday) and Everett next Tuesday at Chelsea Stadium before hitting the road to Lynn English next Thursday.
CHS cross country falls to Everett
The Chelsea High boys cross country team dropped a 19-38 decision at Everett last Wednesday.
“We were at Everett, where we ran on their three-mile course, a little shorter than a full 5K,” said CHS head coach Cesar Hernandez. “Overall, we were happy with the performances from our team, as all but one person ran at a pace where they would have had a personal best if it were a full 5k. Unfortunately, we had a few kids out with some small injuries, including our top boy runner, but we hope to have them all back for our next meet.”
Leading the way for the Red Devils was Xavi Guzman, who crossed the line in third place in a time of 18:42. He was followed by Bryan Amaya (6th place in 19:27), Zakaria Moubtassim (8th in 19:39), Sebastian Molina Regil (11th in 20:35), and Jeffriso Mercado (12th in 20:36).
On the girls’ side, Lady Red Devil Hazel Hatleberg won the race in a clocking of 21:49.
Hernandez and his crew were scheduled to host Lynn Classical yesterday (Wednesday) and entertain Lynn English next Wednesday.