Belton got goals from six players and solid play from goalkeeper Manuel Amaya and his defensive mates to dispose of North Mesquite 7-0 Tuesday night in a bi-district match at Midlothian ISD Stadium.
The Tigers (25-1) - winners of 23 consecutive games and ranked No. 5 nationally in the ESPN RISE Fab 50 poll - advanced to face Dallas White or Garland Rowlett in the area round this weekend, while the Stallions (8-15-4) had their postseason stay cut short.
“I think our speed had a lot to do with the outcome,” Belton coach Tarcisio Mosnia said. “And I think in general, we had a better team.”
And it showed from outset as the Tigers peppered the Stallions with 12 first-half shots while yielding only four, three of which were saved by Amaya.
Belton senior Josh Caffey - a New Mexico signee - dribbled through three Stallions on the left side and put a centering pass on the right foot of Brandon Maldonado, who drove it in over goalkeeper Nick Pineda for a 1-0 lead in the 22nd minute.
Caffey did the work himself 5 minutes later, drilling a shot from 20 yards out. Christian Bass banged home a free kick from 55 yards and the Tigers scored on a North Mesquite own goal off a Bass throw-in for a 4-0 halftime advantage.
The gap was pushed to 5-0 just 9 minutes into the second half on a header by senior starting defender Cade Carlson, who will have to sit out the area-round match after receiving a red card. He and North Mesquite’s Moises Prieto were battling for the ball on the left side. After pushing one another, each player took a swing at the other’s head and was ejected.
Sophomore Tyler Pate’s line-drive shot from 20 yards out made it 6-0 with 23 minutes remaining, and sophomore Evan McLaughlin had the capper 12 minutes later.
Amaya made a handful of second-half saves and the Stallions had a late second-half goal waved off for having too many players on the field.
“I thought we could have played a little bit better,” Mosnia said. “But sometimes when there are calls like there were tonight, it creates instability in the players because they’re not exactly sure what he’s going to call."
edrennan@temple-telegram.com
