Big goals
- Updated: April 10, 2025
Oxford boys heed coach’s call to score 31 goals, and Yellow Jackets finish off dominant run through Calhoun County Tournament with 7-1 victory.
Boys’ pairings
MONDAY, April 7
No. 1 Oxford 13, No. 8 Anniston 0
No. 4 Saks 6, No. 5 Weaver 4
No. 6 Jacksonville 4, No. 3 Donoho 3 (PK)
No. 2 White Plains 12, No. 7 Faith Christian 2
TUESDAY, April 8
Semifinals
Oxford 11, Saks 1
White Plains 4, Jacksonville 3
THURSDAY, April 10
Championship
Oxford 7, White Plains 1
By Joe Medley
East Alabama Sports Today
OXFORD — Haili Vinson admits she doesn’t know the team goals-score record for the Calhoun County soccer tournament, and that’s all right. Her team doesn’t, either.
Setting the record became useful motivation in Thursday’s county final, however.
Oxford got two goals apiece from Yandel Amador and Kevin Reyes on his first match back from a fall knee injury and beat White Plains 7-1 at Choccolocco Park.
Oxford won its second consecutive county title and fifth in eight years.
The seven goals Oxford scored Thursday made it 31 for three tournament matches. The Yellow Jackets beat Anniston 13-0 and Saks 11-1 in mercy-rule matches on Monday and Tuesday, respectively.
Oxford came into Thursday’s match with 24, and Vinson saw a motivational opportunity.
“I made up of how many goals have been scored and the record for Calhoun County Tournaments and tried to get them to beat it,” Vinson said. “I told them it was 30, and they scored 31 goals in this tournament.”
Oxford’s run included two short, mercy-rule matches. The Yellow Jackets finished off Anniston at halftime and Saks 3:55 into the second half.
White Plains, which lost to Oxford 8-1 earlier this season, trailed 2-1 at halftime and managed to make Oxford play a full match.
“I felt like we were right in there at the end of the first half,” White Plains coach Chase Cotton said. “We had a chance early second half. They scored, and we had a chance to make it 3-2 and didn’t convert.
“All credit to them. They’re a fantastic team. They play hard. Coach Vinson has got them doing some really great things. It’s been coming a long time for them.”
The Wildcats also played in their first county final after close calls in past semifinals. They claimed their county-runner-up trophy as players who graduated in 2024 watched.
“I’m really proud my guys for their fight,” Cotton said. “They showed up and believed that they could do it. They beat us pretty badly earlier this season, and we showed up believing they could get it done.
“Never OK with a loss, but I’m proud of my boys.”
Oxford, a playoff-bound team in Class 6A, got hot late Thursday’s match against its Class 4A competition. Besides two goals apiece from Reyes and Amador, Oxford goal a goal apiece from tournament MVP Aldo Gutierrez, Joseph Bartolon and Isaac Hernandez.
Amador finished as the tournament’s offensive MVP with nine off Oxford’s 31 goals.
Reyes got in on the fun Thursday while playing his first match back after suffering a torn ACL in club ball in October. He was cleared to play a month ahead of schedule.
“Overall, I’m very proud of the team,” Reyes said. “Everybody gave it their all.
“We came here to play. This is a sport we all love. It brings us together. We’re happy, and we want to keep playing some more.”
All-Tournament team
MVP: Aldo Gutierrez, Oxford.
Offensive MVP: Yandel Amador, Oxford.
Defensive MVP: Brodie Wesley, White Plains.
Also:
Oxford: Cristian Lopez, Kevin Martinez, Alexander Nunez.
White Plains: Caleb Goode, Jose Ramirez, Anthony Orsoto.
Jacksonville: Cooper Morgan, Judah Jennings.
Saks: Helmer Martinez, Carlos Martinez.
Faith Christian: Davis Morley.
Anniston: Dariel Flores.
Donoho: Cayden Brooks.
Weaver: Uli Lazcano.
Photo gallery by Joe Medley
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