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South dribbles past Ashland, 1-0 Mail Tribune/Drew Fleming By Greg Stiles ASHLAND � There was little doubt which team was in control from opening whistle to the sun-baked end at Ashland Middle School Saturday afternoon. South Medford�s players circled Ashland�s end of the field and devoured soccer balls like piranhas would minnows. They shot and shot again, forcing Ashland goalkeeper Noah Shields to take his life in his hands more than once. Even so, the Panthers could never breathe easily until time expired in a 1-0 win over the defending Southern Oregon Conference champion. "We knew we were going to win," said South junior forward Justin Baldoni. "We just had to find a way to put the ball in the goal." Despite getting off more than 20 shots and allowing just two, the Panthers couldn�t separate themselves on the scoreboard. They went scoreless for more than a half before Daniel Hathaway delivered the game�s lone goal five minutes into the second half. Hathaway was 20 yards from the goal on the left side when he sidestepped an oncoming defender and took aim for the far post. "The keeper (Shields) showed on the near post, and I saw the opening on the far post," said Hathaway, a sophomore midfielder thrown in the offensive mix by South coach Dave Potter. "This was a really big win for us, but we should�ve scored more." The triumph upped South Medford�s SOC record to 2-0 and 4-3-1 overall, while Ashland slipped to 0-2 and 2-3-1. Both teams advanced to the Class 4A state semifinals a year ago, but their teams since were hit hard by graduation. Nonetheless, high expectations remain. "If we�re going to get to the playoffs, we�re going to have beat Ashland, Klamath Union and North Medford," Potter said. "If you slip up here, you�re a game down to the other teams." While the Panthers couldn�t put the Grizzlies away, they were certainly good at playing keep away from an opponent that had beaten them the past two years. "We worked the ball, we played smart," Potter said. "We did a much better job with our possession play from beginning to end, which we hadn�t done. We had very few mental breakdowns. I treasure seeing a team perform with the intelligence we did today." In keeping the ball away from the Grizzlies, the Panthers negated Ashland�s speedy front line led by Scott Beaver. "If we control the ball, we control how the game�s played," said Ashland coach Eisa Tiaa Toutou. "We kept kicking the ball to their defenders. The whole game was that way. "They controlled the midfield and created the opportunities." Veteran sweeper Craig Tomlins led the defensive line that frustrated the Grizzlies throughout. "We knew they had speed up front, especially Scott Beaver," Tomlins said. "But Cody George, Adam Walport and Corey Parks gave us time in back. Since we shut down their offense, we could open up the field. When you build from the back, you know you�re going to score." Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2000 Mail Tribune, Inc.