Chino Valley's boys, girls soccer teams win state titles

November 6, 2016 by Jose Garcia, AZPreps365


Chino Valley's girls soccer program reserved a seat at its school’s state championship soccer table Saturday. 

Pull a chair out for the ladies, Chino Valley’s boys soccer program.

The boys continue to sit at the head of the table in the fall soccer state tournament after winning its state record tying fourth consecutive title. But after’s Saturday’s 1-0 victory over Round Valley at Campo Verde High, Chino Valley’s girls staked their claim to their first ever title.

“It’s fantastic,” Chino Valley coach Allen Foster said. “Five years ago I was coaching with the boys and I made a decision to jump ship (from) the team that I knew was going to be a state champ multiple times.”

Foster’s program earned its first taste of a title, but winning championships has become an acquired taste for the boys.

In Saturday’s final, Chino Valley’s boys defeated the team they overtook as the No. 1 soccer program in the fall, Blue Ridge. For the fourth year in a row, Blue Ridge failed to uncouple the Chino Valley soccer express in a fall state championship game.

Unlike last year’s final in which Chino Valley trailed by two, Chino Valley (22-1) won by two Saturday, 2-0 to be exact. Blue Ridge did defeat Chino Valley this year, but it happened during the regular season.

In the final, four-year varsity player Arturo Gomez scored both goals for Chino Valley and helped his program go 85-4-1 during high school career.

Gomez scored the game winner in last year’s title game.

“It feels great,” Gomez said. “I’m going home as a champion.”

Katielyn Farnsworth also ended her high school career in style.

The senior’s goal from atop the box in the 31st minute was all Chino Valley (20-0-1) needed to knock off the team that defeated Chino Valley in the state semifinals last year.

“It feels so great,” Farnsworth said. “We definitely made history off my goal (43rd of the year). I couldn’t have done it without my team. This team is the best team I’ve every played with.”

Farnsworth’s team struggled to possess the ball during the first half against a solid Round Valley team that also kept Round Valley’s speed in check.

That led Foster and his staff to implore their team to start ripping shots at goal instead of trying to make an extra pass in the box. The strategy paid off when Farnsworth shot in traffic bounced a couple of times before going in.

Round Valley’s best two chances were thwarted by Chino Valley’s defense, first by defender Allie Nichols in the first half and then by goalkeeper Giselle Chinchilla in the second half.   

Gomez scored his first goal in the boys title game after a Blue Ridge defender was red carded for an intentional hand ball on a shot ripped by Edward Sanchez. The infraction in the box led to Gomez’s penalty strike with 50 seconds remaining in the first half.

The second goal came in the 58th minute, when a pass over the middle left Gomez alone with Blue Ridge’s goalkeeper, who came off his line but couldn’t stop a low shot by Gomez.

“We’ve seen the girls program go up and down lately, and they’ve really turned the corner here the last couple of years,” first-year Chino Valley boys soccer coach Todd Carey said. “It’s phenomenal just to see both programs have so much success. (With) the boys and girls, there’s just a lot of passion in Chino (Valley) with soccer and it’s just fun to see.”

  Chino Valley's soccer champions.