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Kathleen Ends Sebring's Run

GRIMALDO INJURY HAMPERS STREAKS’ ATTACK IN 1-0 LOSS

Brian Gjurgevich/Highlands Today

Sebring senior and leading scorer Daniel Grimaldo (center) is carried off the field by coach Paul Brown and assistant Keith Bowyer during the opening minutes of Sebring's 1-0 loss to Kathleen.

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By Brian Gjurgevich | Highlands Today

Published: February 2, 2008

SEBRING — Sebring has another reason to dislike Red Devils.

The Kathleen boys soccer team ended Sebring's historic run into the state playoffs on Thursday night, as the Red Devils knocked out the Blue Streaks' first-ever district-championship team with a 1-0 victory in a Class 4A regional quarterfinal on Firemen's Field.

Hampered by an injury to leading scorer and senior Daniel Grimaldo, the Blue Streaks outshot the Red Devils but couldn't make the most of multiple scoring opportunities, ending the school's first home regional match on a sour note in front of a large and raucous crowd.

"It's real emotional to lose like this," said junior Pedro Gori. "But we made history this year, and hopefully, it won't be the last of it."

Sebring's fortunes took a sizeable hit in the 10th minute, when Grimaldo collided with Kathleen keeper Nick Walker and immediately went to the turf with a right-knee injury. He spent the next 45 minutes of the game on the sideline and his presence was missed: The Streaks had five corner kicks in the final 10 minutes of the first half and looked to be on the brink of equalizing, but the Red Devil defense prevented the score.

"The defender was showing the ball, and when the goalie came up to kick it, he whiffed and caught me in the knee," said Grimaldo, whose taped-up knee limited his mobility in the second half. "I can't say I would've made the difference, but we needed everything we could get."

Sebring coach Paul Brown said when his leading scorer went to the sidelines, the Streaks' first scoring option went with him.

"He scored a lot for us this year, so part of the plan went — knock it wide, knock it to Daniel and score," Brown said. "But you have to give [Kathleen] credit — they played hard and deserved to win, and we didn't capitalize on our chances."

The Red Devils' lone goal came in the 30th minute when a cross bounded off a header by Reyanil Arroyo and into the right side of the Sebring net. It was the only blemish on the night for Sebring keeper Ryan Cochran, who finished the night with seven saves.

The Streaks still had their chances in the second half: They had eight shots on goal in the final 40 minutes, but the Red Devil defense was quick to deny and altered many of Sebring's best shots on goal.

"It wasn't one of our better games," said Sebring senior Nicholas Peters. "But they were there on every one of our passes and made it hard for us to connect.

"It leaves a sour taste in our mouths, because we thought we'd go further."

Brown said he was proud of his team despite the loss, and that these Streaks made history time and again this season, netting previously unheard-of regular-season wins over Hardee, DeSoto and Palmetto.

"We're not as skillful as other teams, but we came a long way," he said. "Every game was like a district final for us and we gave our all until the end.
"Now we have to go back to square one."

Five Sebring seniors — defensive captain Michael Bloemsma, forwards Grimaldo and Peters, defender Brad Molinaro and keeper Elic Kirby — walked off Firemen's Field for the final time after the loss, though Grimaldo said his class certainly raised the bar for future teams.

"We've been together our whole life," he said. "We played YMCA when we were five years old, and when we got to high school, people always said we'd be the team that's going to do something.
"We proved them right, and I think with all the young kids on the team, they're going to be one to watch."

NOTES: The match started 52 minutes late because Kathleen's bus broke down on the way to the field ... Sebring junior Jessey Dombroski, the team's emotional spark plug and halftime speech giver, was removed from the stadium prior to the second half when he tore a Kathleen sign from the bleachers after Red Devil fans jeered Serbing's arrival to the bench ... The Streaks nearly went down 2-0 in the 54th minute, but a point-blank shot by Kathleen's Martin Diaz was denied by a header from freshman Derek Drummond ... Sebring finished the season with a 14-8-3 overall record.

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