Conner Cosgrove (11) waits for a pass against Amphitheater. (Andy Morales/AZPreps365.com)

 

No. 9 Catalina Foothills beat No. 24 Amphitheater 5-1 Thursday night in the 4A play-in tournament to advance to the state playoffs on the boy’s side. The Falcons will wait for the AIA Soccer Bracket Show on Friday afternoon to see who they will be playing in first round action next Wednesday, Jan. 31.

“We aren’t going to spend too much time worrying about who our opponent is or who they played,” Conner Cosgrove said. “We know we will have to play hard whoever it is.”

Now a senior, Cosgrove wears the captain band due to his leadership and his skill level. He took an offering from fellow captain Ryan Whitney in the 18th minute to start the scoring off and Manny McCrohan (Dylan Montoya) put the Falcons up 2-0 in the 37th.

Diego Carrasco assisted Whitney in the 42nd to extend the score to 3-0 but Joslin Witandayi scored on a breakaway to cut the lead down to 3-1 in the 55th. Whitney found Jorge Garavito on a corner kick one minute later to put the Falcons back up 4-1.

Hector Morales (Emiliano Flores) ended the scoring in the 79th for the 5-1 win.

The Falcons made it to the quarterfinal round last year where they lost to eventual 4A state champion Coronado 1-0, one year after finishing the 2016 season ranked 43rd.

“We just have a great group of kids,” Cosgrove added. “To be able to come from my freshman year to the captain this year is very special.”