WILLITS — Middletown High School’s 12-year reign as North Central League I girls soccer champion ended Tuesday even though the Mustangs beat the Willits Wolverines 3-0 in the pouring rain at Willits.
Middletown (11-1-1 league, 12-2-1 overall) still has one league game remaining but even if the Mustangs close with a victory over undefeated Roseland University Prep (13-0) on Thursday in Middletown, they’ll still finish second in the final league standings by half a game. RUP clinched the outright title with a 2-0 victory over St. Helena on Tuesday in Santa Rosa.
“A win would be ideal, but I’ll take a tie,” Middletown first-year coach Ashley Hart said. “A win would definitely help us,” Hart added with an eye toward the upcoming North Coast Section Divison 1 playoffs. “It would be a good boost for us in the final league standings and a good boost for the ladies’ morale going into the playoffs.”
Middletown will honor its seniors during the RUP match, the Mustangs’ final home match of the regular season.
The Mustangs led 2-0 at halftime against Willits where the Wolverines took a long halftime (30 minutes) to honor their seniors. The weather also turned in the second half as rain began to fall, the wind came up and the temperature plummeted
“It was pouring down rain,” Hart said. “The wind was pretty bad and it was around 50 degrees, it was getting chilly.”
Zamora Rogers scored two unassisted goals and Paige Astley had another for Middletown.
Hart said it wasn’t one of the Mustangs’ better efforts of the season against one of the league’s weaker teams.
“We played down to their level,” she said.
Astley was the team’s standout.
“She’s really showing her leadership on the field right now,” Hart said. “She’s playing up to her potential.”
Rain or shine Wednesday, Hart said the Mustangs will be back on the practice field preparing for RUP, a 4-0 winner over Middletown on Sept. 21 in Middletown. The only other blemish on the Mustangs’ league record is a 2-2 tie with St. Helena. That draw cost them half a win in the league standings or else they might be playing for a co-championship against RUP on Thursday.
“We have only ourselves to blame,” Hart said.
