Thornton – During his two games at the end of the regular season and thus far in the playoffs, Fort Collins’ Edgar Ramirez has receiving nothing but passing grades from everybody who has watched him play.
The senior midfielder scored two goals and assisted on another in the first half, as the Lambkins cruised to their first championship game since winning it all in 1990 with a 5-0 victory over Regis at Five Star Stadium.
“We’re confident right now,” said Ramirez, who missed most of the season because of academic ineligibility.
Ninth-seeded Fort Collins (13-3-3) will play defending champion Smoky Hill at 7 p.m. Wednesday. Smoky Hill will attempt to become the first repeat big school champion since Arapahoe in 1993-94.
Ramirez netted his first goal of the season in the 15th minute. He spun around a defender and blasted a hard left-footed shot over goalie Tyler Picard.
An own goal just five minutes later put the Lambkins up 2-0, but it was the third that was a backbreaker for the fifth-seeded Raiders (14-2-3). Surrounded by three Regis defenders, Ramirez sneaked a shot just inside the post and under Picard.
“Everybody comes out here and says ‘Wow, look at Edgar,’ but we come to expect it,” Collins coach Jason Odorizzi said. “We see it in practice, but in a game mentality we finally realize that what we practice is translating to the games.”
Said Regis coach Peter Scott, who lost his starting sweeper, Dustin Paul, in the 10th minute after a nasty collision left him motionless on the field: “We gave up two soft goals early and they were flying at that point. Sometimes luck bites you and sometimes you ride your luck and sometimes you get bad luck, but once you’re down three or four and everything is going in, it’s tough.”
Paul was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital, and his condition was unknown at the end of the game.
Colby Ford and Steve Emory each added goals in the first half to round out the scoring.
Regis had a chance to get on the board late in the second half after senior forward Bongomin Otii was dragged down in the box by Ford. But Seth Tamminga’s shot from the dot was turned away by goalie David Martin.
Fort Collins 5 0 – 5
Regis 0 0 – 0
Goals – Ramirez (unassisted), 15th minute; Own goal, 20th; Ramirez (unassisted), 27th; Ford (Ramirez), 31st; Emory (unassisted), 37th.
Shots on goal – Fort Collins 6-3 – 9; Regis 0-3 – 3. Saves – Fort Collins (Martin) 0-3 – 3; Regis (Picard, 40 mins.) 1-0 – 0, (Lamar, 20 mins.) 0-2 – 2, (Queen 20 mins.) 0-1 – 1. Corner kicks – Fort Collins 1-0 – 1; Regis 0-3 – 3. Offsides – Fort Collins 1-1 – 2; Regis 1-0 – 1. Fouls – Fort Collins 7-3 – 10; Regis 6-6 – 12. Yellow cards – Cummock, FC, 76th; Tamminga, R, 80th.
Jon E. Yunt can be reached at 303-820-5446 or jyunt@denverpost.com.
