PITTSBURG — Back in October, Pittsburg’s Lorenzo Anaya nailed a field goal in overtime to lift the Pirates' football team to beat Liberty in one of the Bay Area’s blockbuster games.
Nothing has really changed for Anaya, besides the sport he’s playing.
On Tuesday night he showcased his leg again, scoring a game winning goal from 40 yards out to not only give the Pirates the 2-1 victory over Freedom, but also bring home the Bay Valley Athletic League title.
“I ain’t going to lie, I came in clutch,” said Anaya. “This team is all about being a family and clutch.”
Freedom pressed hard in the first half, with four corner kicks in the first five minutes of the game. Jax Williams bailed out Pittsburg with a beauty of a save. It wasn’t just that for the senior. Jax halted Freedom’s Eduardo Navarro’s freekick later in the half with a long stretch, keeping the half scoreless at nil.
“I don’t think we executed our plan well but the first 30 minutes of the game we owned them,” said Freedom head coach Sal Acevedo. “We need to come up to a goal. Going 0-0 at half put us in a really tough position because we knew how they (Pittsburg) were going to come out in the second half.”
The first goal of the game came within 18:20 left in the half. Anaya executed the corner kick set piece perfectly connecting with Emerson Diaz for the flick trickling past Freedom’s Eduardo Marin.
But Freedom quickly countered back. Not even two minutes later, Jaysen Blount headed in the ball to tie the game up at one.
Pittsburg brings back the BVAL title, it’s sixth in eight years and first under head coach Nahum Lozano. It felt even more special for the team to win it in front of its biggest crowd of the season.
“The first step was to bring back the BVAL title to the city,” said Lozano. “I’m really happy to bring it back and beat a competitive team like Freedom. We need to get ready for everything coming to us.”
Around the BVAL
Avelardo Florentino recorded a brace in Antioch’s 3-0 victory over Liberty's boys. Ian Scheringer added to the count.
Ruben Huerta found the back of the net for the Heritage boys, but it was not enough in a 2-1 loss to Deer Valley.
Liberty's girls clinched a share of their seventh consecutive BVAL title with a 5-0 victory over Antioch. Kaitlin Carlton scored while Rylie Stiglich and Alexis Gutierrez each had a two goal performance in the win.
Pittsburg and Freedom girls tied at nil.
Heritage's girls survived Deer Valley 1-0. The Wolverines were their own enemy by allowing an own goal to occur, as they tried to clear a cross into the box during the first half.
