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South Medford boys battle to 0-0 tie with state champ The South Medford High boys soccer team stood toe-to-toe with defending state co-champion Mountain View on Tuesday, but the Panthers failed to score for the second straight match and had to settle for a 0-0 tie at Fichtner-Mainwaring Park. Goalie Kyle Hadley, sweeper Craig Tomlins and stopper Corey Parks all played superbly on defense for the Panthers, now 0-1-1 on the season. "Those three protected the middle of the field � they really stepped up," South Medford coach Dave Potter said. Mountain View nearly scored midway through the first half when a shot hit the crossbar, and the Panthers came close to getting on the board on a set play late in the opening period when Josh Neville�s shot went inches wide of the goal off an indirect kick. "That play was beautifully timed and was the highlight of the first half," Potter said. South Medford saw another scoring opportunity go by the wayside in the second half when the Mountain View goalie stopped Neville�s header in the penalty box. "We got off to a very sluggish start for the second straight match and that�s got to change or we�re going to lose several more times," Potter said. "We came back in the second half and played much better. We started to control the ball a little more and dictated the rhythm of play. "But we�ve got to find a way to get the ball in the net." The Panthers have two tough matches this weekend, hosting South Eugene at 4:30 p.m. Friday and Corvallis at noon on Saturday at Fichtner-Mainwaring. The three schools have combined to win three of the past four state championships. Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA