Pair of shutouts boost Jackson boys to 8-1

JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. — The Jackson Broncs (8-1) were perfect over the weekend, blanking Rock Springs (7-3) on the road Friday and pitching another shutout at home against Green River (4-4-1) on Saturday.

Jackson 4, Rock Springs 0

The Broncs played lockdown defense on the road Friday in the 4-0 win. The first goal came 15 minutes in when Dilan Tzompa Perez set up for a free kick. Just before the midfielder put a toe to it, Hunter Dewell stretched out his arm in a not-so-subtle message: “I’m going here.”

Tzompa Perez floated a beauty to Dewell who headed it on the run past Tiger keeper Hudson Conrad who gambled by coming way out of his net. 1-0 Jackson

 As if coach Matt Hoelscher doesn’t have enough firepower at his disposal, it was a weekend to remember for sophomore Jensen Smock and junior Jared Perez-Pluma. Both lesser-known names were standouts Friday and Saturday.

Smock’s long ball upfield with 7:53 left in the 1st found Chris Tzompa, who, in turn, fed Charlie Hoelscher. Dribbling toward the goal, Hoelscher spied Conrad again being overly aggressive. As the Rock Springs goalie came rushing at him, Hoelscher calmly chipped the ball over his head and into the net for a 2-0 lead the Broncs would take into the half.

In the 2nd half, coach Hoelscher praised Perez-Pluma for his hustle on a backchecking play that was pure effort.

“We have a four second rule,” Hoelscher said. “If you lose the ball, you have four seconds to go all-out to get it back. Whatever it takes, or else then you fall back on defense.”

Midfielder Perez-Pluma, who has seen his playing cut a bit with the return of Dewell from injury, lost the handle while trying to beat two Rock Springs players. When the ball went the other way in transition, Perez-Pluma put his head down and used less than four seconds to cover some 60 yards chasing down the Tigers ball carrier and take it away from behind.

Jackson’s 3rd goal was as pretty as they come. Danny Huerta won a ball deep in Jackson’s territory and immediately sent it 40 yards upfield to Hoelscher in the pocket, who dribbled some 20 yards before dishing to Teddy Opler. Opler then found a wide-open Dewell who finished for a 3-0 lead. The play covered almost the length of the field in about 6 seconds.

A converted penalty kick by Hoelscher sealed the win for Jackson and preserved the shutout for goalkeeper Javy Huta.

Jackson 8, Green River 0

The Broncs handled Green River easily for the second time this season. Jackson managed a 4-0 win back in March. This time, Jackson doubled up on that in what was a flat out dominant offensive display.

The Wolves spent most of the contest Saturday using just their 1/3 of the pitch as the Broncs pinned Green River in their end all game long. It was a relentless attack that eventually caused the Wolves to lose composure and start picking up yellow cards as the play got chippy late.

Charlie Hoelscher grabbed the opening tally off a rebound from a Perez-Pluma shot. All this after Teddy Opler created the opportunity off the rush.

Twice, Hoelscher was knocked hard to the ground as the Wolves were obviously targeting Jackson’s more dangerous weapons. The second time, Green River almost looked like they stopped playing for a second, expecting a penalty called, Chris Tzompa fired it home anyway for the 2-0 lead with 13:05 to play in the 1st half.

Dilan Tzompa Perez scored off a pretty redirect from Jenson Smock bullet to make it 3-0 with 12 minutes to play.

But Jackson wasn’t nearly done.

Smelling blood, the support from midfield helped keep the attack pinned in the Green River end as scoring chance after scoring chance had the Wolves on their heels.

A Cesar Jimenez Vazquez screamer was stopped, somehow, by a sprawling Abram Vergara, the Wolves keeper. Minutes later it was Opler with a rocket just off the outstretched hand of Vergara to send it wide. Hoelscher doinked one off the crossbar that likely removed some of the white paint.

On and on it went for the rest of the half.

Rutley Heinemann walked in on net form the end line and narrowly missed stuffing it into the net. Opler put on a dribbling clinic with 3:35 to play, beating four defenders single-handily before firing a shot off a body out front.

Heinemann again created space for his teammates with some shifty ball handling. He fed Opler in the box, who was fouled before he could get the shot off. Opler converted the penalty kick easily for a 4-0 advantage.

Heinemann finally got a goal of his own in the opening minute of the 2nd half. Miscommunication between Green River defenders and the backup goalkeeper resulted in a gift for the sophomore forward.

Satisfied with his goal scoring output for the day, Opler turned into an assist machine in the final 40 minutes. A gorgeous unselfish pass to Dewell made it 5-0 with 29 minutes to play in regulation.

Opler then found an open Heinemann on the backdoor who one-timed the pass out of the air for his second goal and a 7-0 lead. Opler’s pièce de resistance was a no-look pass to Perez-Pluma who batted the gimme into the Green River net for the 8-0 final.

Teddy to Perez Pluma 8-0. Great unselfish assist.

Next up

Coach Hoelcher said he likes the way the team is playing now as they hit their stride through the second half of the schedule. It’s a good time to be peaking and a 12-0 weekend is as good as it gets. As much as the offense was highlighted, Hoelscher did not lose sight of how well his defense played.

“Shutouts are a big deal. Clean sheets are what it’s all about,” coach said. “It’s defense that wins games.”

Jackson heads to Star Valley (3-4-2) Tuesday before returning home for the weekend to host Casper teams on Friday and Saturday—Kelly Walsh (8-1) and Natrona County (1-9).