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Plant City Wins Wharton Invitational Title

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By JARRETT GUTHRIE, Tribune correspondent

Published: November 11, 2007

TAMPA - Plant City coach K.C. Van Der Luit had a single thought before Saturday's match against Alonso in the Wharton Invitational final.

"It's kind of nice to be the underdog sometimes," Van Der Luit said.

However, 14 minutes into the first half the score did not reflect Van Der Luit's underdog status. The Raiders took a 3-0 lead before Alonso scored three goals and forced the game to penalty kicks, where two freshmen proved the difference as the Raiders won 4-3.

The Raiders (4-0) scored twice one minute, 40 seconds into the game. The first came after a free kick by Matt Kirkland found Jonathan Dupree waiting in front of the goal.

The Raiders' second goal came when Dupree flicked the ball to Brian Fekete, who scored with his left foot.

Despite the Ravens (3-1) controlling the ball for most of the game, the Raiders made it 3-0 when Stevie Lamas scored to the left of Alonso goalkeeper Nick Hall.

Alonso's first goal came with six minutes left in the first half when Tristan Velez kicked in a ball unimpeded after it deflected off the crossbar of the goal.

The Ravens scored their first goal of the second half when Julio Perez scored on a ball that deflected off of Plant City goalie Alex Delagarza's chest. The tying goal came in stoppage time when Juan Arbelaez scored to the left of Delagarza.

In the first round of penalty kicks, each team made four through the first five players. In the second round of kicks the game went to a one-for-one sudden-death style with Alonso shooting first. Sebastian Matta drilled his kick to the left of the keeper and the first of Plant City's freshmen, Jorge Martinez, responded in the same fashion. A stop by Delagarza of Jose Sulvaran's kick opened the door and freshman Alan Black followed with the game-winner.

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