There were scoring chances for both teams, but no one took advantage as Dutchtown and St. Amant played to a 0-0 tie in boys soccer action on Friday night at The Pit.
For the Ascension Parish rivals, there was plenty of emotion throughout the match. Even with the cold weather, there was some left over when the game ended.
“I wish we would have played another 30 minutes,” St. Amant coach Adrian Garcia said. “I think we would have had a good time, and I think the kids wanted to stay out there. You want somebody to go away with something, but it is what it is.”
Along with Denham Springs, Dutchtown and St. Amant came into the match as one of three teams from District 6-I rated in the top 10 of the LHSAA’s Division I non-select power ratings. Dutchtown (8-2-5, 2-0-1) can still win the district title if it wins its remaining games. St. Amant (8-3-3, 1-1-1) would need help.
“It’s always tough when you play St. Amant at the Pit,” Dutchtown coach Marcus Dyer said. “Not only is it a technical battle against a good coach and a good team, it’s an emotional and mental battle against a cross-town rival. There’s an aura that comes with playing here, and it’s tough.”
Dutchtown got off seven shots. One of the Griffins best chances came in the game’s opening moments. Victor Carillo chased down a through ball on the right side, and had a one-on-one chance against Gators’ goalkeeper Taylor Wall.
Wall came out to meet the play, and Carillo’s fourth-minute shot was just outside the left post.
St. Amant tested Dutchtown goalkeeper Josh Thibodaux in the first half. Aldo Padron and Kaleb Wilkins each sent shots on goal that Thibodaux, who had five saves, deflected away. Both shots were followed by corner kicks, but St. Amant failed to turn them into goals.
St. Amant had five corner kicks while Dutchtown generated two.
“We’re still learning our shape and we’re still learning our formation and organization,” said Garcia, whose team lost 3-0 to Walker on Tuesday. “Even though it’s late in the year, we’re still trying to do things. We got whipped the last game so we felt like we needed to come out and, at least, get a little better defensive effort. I thought we did that.”
With time running out in the second half, St. Amant came up with one final shot on goal, but a header bounced off the crossbar.
“Sometimes you need some luck,” Garcia said. “We hit the bar there at the end. We didn’t get it this game, but we’ll get it next game.”
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