By Richard Smith
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After a season of taking the best shots of opponents Ironwood boys soccer was ready for the start of the playoffs, even if the format is foreign.

It was the seven-time state champion program's first Open Division game Wednesday night, and the #13 seed Eagles showed they were ready for playoff mode early.

Ironwood (14-6) overwhelmed #20 Oro Valley Ironwood Ridge  (12-3-1) with four goals in the opening 30 minutes. The Eagles finished with a comfortable 4-1 win to move on to the second round.

"We've had really hard practices with a lot of conditioning and a lot of touches. Just that has been getting our mindset ready, with no joking and staying locked in the entire time. We came in to this game and knew what we had to do," senior midfielder Jordan Yesenski said.

Ironwood embarked on a long bus trip today to face a powerhouse just north of the international border with Mexico. #4 San Luis (12-1) has been the 6A runner up the past two seasons.

One of these traditional top teams stays in the Open Division after tonight, while the other drops down to their conference tournament and instantly becomes a favorite.

"It's a weird phenomenon. I don't know how to describe it," Ironwood coach Tim Beck said. "I would never go into the game playing for anything but to win. It's my mentality, my competitive nature and the same with these boys. It is a weird feeling knowing that if we get over the line with San Luis and then we're in a final eight. If we don't, we drop back down and be one of the favorites in 5A."

The Eagles dynamic attacking duo of seniors Jordan  Yesenski (two goals, two assists) and Bryan Romero (one goal, three assists) did much of the damage early against the Nighthawks.

Junior midfielder Aaron Apodaca added the fourth goal.

"We've been best friends since third grade. That's helped. We already had that connection," Yesenski said. "We can communicate just with our eyes, and we know what we're doing, what we're thinking and how the next play is going to turn out."

Most of the Eagles' midfield and back line is new, Beck said. This team has also developed some depth.

All of the Eagles goaltenders are new in the varsity rotation, which mostly has been a time share between junior Austin de la Torre and sophomore Joseph Murillo.

"We're Ironwood, so we always look forward to the playoffs. It's a different team from last year. We lost a lot," Beck said. "We take everyone's best shot and the expectations are always sky high. Some of these guys are brand new to the team and the program, so I'm proud of them."

Ironwood Ridge broke through in the 50th minute on a set piece, a header by senior defender Miles Rios off a corner kick.

Now the defensive shape will face a tougher test in San Luis.

"We're really excited for that match and the bus ride down there, to see how it is. We plan to play our butts off," Romero said.

Romero is the team's talisman. Earlier this season he broke the legendary program's goal scoring record with 70. Now he's making it difficult for those following in his footsteps. Wednesday's goal was his 86th in the red.

And Romero's contribution's go far beyond that.

"As great of a player as he is, he's a better person, a better young man. He's going to be missed because of who he is, not the player he is," Beck said. "He is part of the culture of this program. He bleeds for this program, just like they all do. It's a testament to him. I coached his older brother, Miguel, years ago. He won a state championship in 2005. I didn't know he had younger brothers."

Richard Smith
Senior News Editor | Glendale & West Valley Preps

rsmith@iniusa.org

Richard Smith has been with Independent Newsmedia since 2016, and worked at a Sun City-based news outfit covering the Northwest Valley for 22 consecutive years.

An NAU alum and lifelong Arizona resident, Richard began as a copy editor and page designer at Surprise Today and the Daily News-Sun, then rekindled his love of sports writing by taking the reins on West Valley Preps in 2008.

For most of the mid-2010s he was the Surprise editor and West Valley Preps reporter. Now he’s the West Valley Preps Editor and Surprise Associate Editor.

As COVID restrictions slowly lift, Richard is cautiously optimistic he will visit book stores, football fields and gyms again this fall.