PCHS kickers take giant step forward

PCHS kickers take giant step forward
By Times staff
PEKIN -- This spring has netted several remarkable moments for Pekin High School's blossoming girls' soccer program.
The Dragons registered the first winning regular season (10-6-1) in the program's 10-year-old history and finished third in the Mid-State 6 Conference behind state powers Notre Dame and Richwoods.
But don't expect Pekin head coach Edgar Sandoval to be content at stopping there.
"We've got one more goal that I think is within reach and that is to win our first playoff game since soccer was split into Class A and Class AA,'' the second-year PCHS coach said following Tuesday's 7-0 Senior Night triumph over Peoria Manual at Coal Miners Park.
The ninth-seeded Dragons will engage eighth-seeded Rock Island at 11 a.m. Saturday in the Class AA Moline Sectional.
Saturday's winner advances to Tuesday's 5 p.m. semifinal to tackle top-seeded and undefeated Normal West, while the second semifinal matches third-seeded East Moline and No. 7 seed Moline at 7 p.m.
Tuesday's winners meet in Thursday's 6 p.m. championship game, with the survivor advancing to the May 28 Quincy Sectional to oppose the Alton Regional winner, where Springfield is the top seed.
Other feeders into the Quincy Sectional include regional winners from Normal Community and Belleville East.