Montrose - Daily Press

MONTROSE— With the slightest touch on the outside of Montrose High School forward Eliseo Gomez’s right foot, the ball was sent dribbling past the goalkeeper and into the back of the net, securing the Indians’ 2-1 win over the Fruita Wildcats Tuesday afternoon at MHS.

Gomez, a MHS sophomore, scored a pair in Tuesday’s win and for the team it was vindication after a recent lost to Fruita left the Indians scratching their heads heading into the 2009 season.

“We were a little better today than we were (last) Saturday and the scoreboard finally reflects that,” head coach Jim Lewis said.

MHS' Eliseo Gomez celebrates his second during a match against Fruita at MHS Tuesday afternoon. (William Woody / Daily Press) Advertisement

From the first touch, under gloomy skies, the Indians went to work delivering several runs on the goal, making Fruita’s goalkeeper work to ward off the Indians’ attack. The game was a battle of possession, neither team giving an inch, sending passes back and forth until a break sent Gomez into the box delivering the ‘ first goal 31 minutes and 30 seconds into the first half with teammate Luis Cervantes assisting.

“The kids played well, establishing control from the beginning,” Lewis said.

From the start of the second half the game changed into a back and forth exchange between the two teams. Bad passes on both sides sent players scrambling for balls and running to make up extra ground. Fruita began to impose itself in the Indians’ territory within the first 10 minutes of the second half. A power shot by Fruita’s Mitchell Van Ackeren at 42:28 sent MHS goalkeeper Ernesto Rodriguez diving for a ball he would soon see in the back of his net.

“When we have the opportunity to put a foot on it we need to and clear it, and they know this, the game isn’t so much physical, it’s mental,” Lewis said.

Sixteen minutes later on a pass from Montrose’s Alex Barrientos, Gomez flicked the ball ever so slightly past the goalkeeper to give the Indians the go ahead score.

“That one was more exciting than the first one ... it was just a little flick on the outside of the foot,” Gomez said.

Gomez’s style is reflective of this, instead of using force in most situations, he uses a small touch or pass to gain an upper hand on defenders.

From then on the game shifted to one of desperation from the Fruita team, and the Indians were able to ward off multiple attacks early into the 71st and 72nd minutes of the game. However the Indians ball control leaves work to be done for Lewis and his team.

“I think we could have done better, our ball handling could have been better, we are better than that as a team,” Gomez said following that the win was a total team effort.

“We got a little sloppy, we played a little kickball in the second half, and we want to get back to what we did at the first of the game, but overall we got the W,” Lewis said.

Following the game Lewis wasn’t dwelling, he’s thinking about this coming Friday’s game against Cortez.

“That’s a playoff game,” Lewis said.

The Indians speed is evident and the it’s safe to assume that Fruita had very little to combat the quickness of the MHS team. The Indians were able to make more plays on offense and get to loose balls. This fact puts a smile on coach Lewis’ face.

“We haven’t seen anybody who has been quicker than us yet , and not I’m sure that we are going to see it,” he said.

The Indians host Cortez this Friday starting at 5 p.m. and the team wants to have a strong home crowd there to support their efforts.

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