Lancer standout Fernando Garate picked up three goals to help lead Salpointe past Thunderbird Tuesday night at home. The 5-0 victory sends the top-seeded Lancers to the quarterfinal round of the 4A state playoffs scheduled for Saturday, March 13. Salpointe (11-0-1) will host No. 9 Coronado (7-3) at 2 p.m. after the Dons defeated No. 8 Cholla 1-0 in overtime.

That minor upset gave the Chargers a 5-5 record to end the season and No. 16 Thunderbird ended with a 6-5 record. All other high seeds held in the 4A Conference Tuesday night except for No. 7 Flagstaff falling to No. 10 Cortez 2-1 earlier in the day. That sets up Cortez (9-4-1) at No. 2 Prescott (12-0) on the bottom half of the bracket.

The hat-trick by Garate gave the senior 16 goals on the year and 33 in his career. Unofficially, the Lancers outshot the Chiefs 21-4 on the night with freshman Adrian Franks putting Salpointe up 1-0 in the 3rd minute. Junior Sergio Ruiz de Chavez put a ball through a small window and Garate put it away on the cross-pass to put Salpointe up 2-0 in the 19th and then Garate scored on a rebound in the 24th for the 3-0 lead at the half.

Garate scored on a PK in the 51st and Chavez cut off a pass, tapped to Franks and Franks returned the favor and Chavez scored in the 58th for the 5-0 final.

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BRACKET BUSTERS

 

In the 6A bracket, No. 12 Basha beat No. 5 Chandler 3-1 and No. 10 Mesa upset No. 7 Rincon/UHS 3-1.

In 5A, No. 9 Glendale beat No. 8 Nogales 3-3 (3-2), No. 12 Washington beat No. 5 Gila Ridge 3-2 and No. 10 Sunnyside upset No. 7 McClintock 2-0.

In 4A, No. 9 Coronado beat No. 8 Cholla 1-0 (OT) and No. 10 Cortez upset No. 7 Flagstaff 2-1.

In 3A, No. 12 Gilbert Christian beat No. 5 Yuma Catholic 4-4 (3-2), No. 14 Odyssey Institute beat No. 3 Valley Christian 3-2, No. 9 Bourgade Catholic beat No. 8 Thatcher 2-1 and No. 11 BASIS Phoenix upset No. 6 Pusch Ridge 1-0.