Within 40 seconds of its Thursday, Oct. 16, game against BASIS Flagstaff, Sedona Red Rock High School boys soccer team got their first goal of the game.

After 60 minutes of game time, if there’s a difference in score of eight points, the game finishes, according to the Arizona Interscholastic Association rulebook.

The Scorpions had 10 goals by half time and the final score was 11-0.

“We had lots of goals,” freshman Jean-Carlo Gonzalez said.

“It’s like a little morale boost after our last loss,” sophomore Ariel Bustos added.

The Scorpions played Northland Preparatory Academy on Oct. 8, during which the team had its first loss of the season 4-0. Players said the loss was on off-night.

“[We were] bummed out,” Bustos said. “We weren’t really playing too well.”

After the loss, Head Coach Gavin Shippen said a couple players received red cards and he was ejected from the game with a three-game suspension. He’ll be back for playoffs after the team’s last home game on Thursday, Oct. 23.

“It’s a huge hit for the team, because they’re not used to it,” assistant coach Fernando Beltran said. “[After] winning, winning, victory and victory — it breaks their mentality, and that’s what happens, we were playing so good. We could have won the game in the first half, you know, made the big difference in the score. But … it was just not happening.”

Beltran said team members were having disagreements and let mistakes get to their heads, which meant teamwork was not their strong suit that game.

“I told them, ‘we are a team,’” he said. “Whoever makes the mistake … we are a team. We’re here to support each other. So, let’s keep together and go to state.”

The Scorpions’ win against the Yetis marks its highest scoring game, beating their previous 91 wins against Madison Highland and Ash Fork on Sept. 3 and Oct. 6 respectively.

“It’s just important game for us to have the victory,” Beltran said. “And … it brings us closer to make it to the playoffs, but we’re not there yet. So we had to keep working and win the next two games and make it to the playoffs, and hopefully we can have a home game if we made it to the playoffs.”

The playoff brackets are announced on Saturday, Oct. 25. If the Scorpions make it, which Shippen is pretty confident about, the quarterfinals will be played on Tuesday, Oct. 28, semifinals will be Thursday, Oct. 30, and the state championship will take place Saturday, Nov. 1.

Thursday’s game left the team confident about the last two games of the regular season.

What’s really improved in the team since last year is “the chemistry on the field,” Bustos said.

The next two games are an away game against Grand Canyon on Tuesday, Oct. 21, after press time, and a home game Highland Prep West on Thursday, Oct. 23, at 6 p.m.

Highland Prep West is ranked first of the 25 teams in the state. The Scorpions are ranked fourth.

“So it’s going to be a good challenge to play them,” Beltran said. “If we can beat them, it’s going to be even better for us, the team. And it’s a home game and it’s our senior night, so that’s going to be … a big game for us.”

Beltran said the team has the talent it needs to make it to the playoffs and perform well.

“Have them work together,” he said, “and then … we can make it.”