The No. 1-ranked Sedona Red Rock High School boys soccer team has won every game since its appearance at the preseason Boys Longhorn Invitation in Payson Aug. 22 and 23. On Tuesday, Sept. 16, the Scorpions continued that trend by beating the Payson Longhorns 4-2.
In the last two weeks, the Scorpions played and won three away games. The team beat Madison Highland Prep 9-1 on Sept. 3; beat the North Valley Christian Lions 4-1 on Sept. 5; and closest to home, they beat the Camp Verde Cowboys 4-3 on Sept. 9. The Scorpions also won their first game of the season against the Chino Valley Cougars 2-1 on Aug. 28.
The Madison Highland Heat were the 2024 state champions. Five of the nine goals were scored by senior Ben Metzger, two were his freshman brother, Luke, senior Aldo Rodriguez and freshman Jean-Carlo Gonzalez each scored an additional goal.
“I know that we’re going to be better player by player, but Payson, they’ve got a coach that has them all buying into this spacing game plan, and they use the space of the field super well,” head coach Gavin Shippen said the night before the game. “And that’s one of the things that we struggle with as a team, is understanding spaces on the field.”
But Shippen agrees with most of the team, they are playing better than last year.
Luis Sanchez, a junior, said the team has more camaraderie and they’re even closer than they were, and they’ve got great leadership.
“The captains, like David [Beltran] and Ariel [Bustos] and Ben [Metzger] being the captains and hyping us up before the game, which gets us more excited and stuff like that,” Sanchez said. “The same thing with Luke [Metzger] as well, … even though he’s not like a captain, he still has to team up and he tries his best to be more positive.”
Senior Ben Metzger said the captain role is mainly just being a role model and ensuring the players come to practice, but there’s some aspect of creating a “victory mentality.”
“Over the past, I want to say two years, Red Rock hasn’t been a really big name on the list for champions, sort of, a first-place contender,” he said. “And really, with those first four [away] games, kind of just putting our name on the list and saying, ‘Hey … we’re still here.’”
The long run on the road has been gratifying for the victories, but it’s also been fun for freshman Gonzalez.
“When we go out to eat on away games, that is really fun,” he said. “Yeah, everybody’s just super excited. We all get along really well.”
He said he’s known some of the people on the team for nearly his whole life, and it’s these bonds that makes sure their practices and games go well.
Shippen believes their improvement can go even further.
“If we can play connected, and have our offense, midfield and defense stay compact, we’ll win,” he said.
Shippen said the team plays pretty similarly to a lot of other high school teams: Going straight for the goal and not taking time to go sideways or stay back with the ball and chill.
“It’s a really good sign when I feel like we’re not playing well and we’re still winning,” Shippen said. “I mean that … if we are playing well and playing the right way, then we could be like, hands down, the best team.”
After the game on Tuesday, Shippen said the team played the best he’s seen.
“Used spacing very well, worked hard and got back on defense,” he wrote in a text the following morning. “It was a team effort win. Everyone played a part.”
The game took place on Mexican Independence Day and included a taco truck and celebrations.
“Just hope to tap into Sedona culture and the soccer culture, and also the culture of this area to celebrate our past,” Shippen said.
The Scorpions beat the Williams Vikings on Sept. 23 4-2.
The Thursday, Sept. 25, game against the Show Low Cougars, which the Scorpions lost 6-0 during its preseason invitational, was cancelled due to lightning strikes.