Facing the fourth-ranked team in the nation was going to be a big enough challenge, but doing so fewer than 20 hours after a hard-fought road battle made the task even more daunting.
Angelina College’s Roadrunners took on No. 4 Tyler Junior College in a Region XIV conference game on Saturday, and the Apaches proved worthy of their lofty ranking with a 3-0 win at Jase Magers Field in Lufkin.
TJC’s Rashad Dobbs broke out of a cluster to hit the nets in the 19th minute for the Apaches’ first score, Marcelo Da Silva Anton launched home a long goal off a corner-kick deflection in the 26th minute and Jacob Daffern converted a penalty kick in the second half to wrap up Tyler’s fourth straight win.
The Roadrunners struggled to string together enough touches to match the Apaches’ scoring runs. AC’s Santiago Maya and Matthew Flaherty teamed up on a nice run, only to see a Tyler defender make a diving kick save inside the box. In the second half, AC’s Julio Islas provided a perfect lead pass to Tito Zammaron, but the shot attempt was off the mark.
The Apaches moved to 7-1, 5-1 on the season. The Roadrunners dropped to 2-6, 1-5.
The Roadrunners get little rest before Tuesday’s match against San Jacinto College. The game is part of a women’s/men’s home doubleheader. The Lady Roadrunners face Brookhaven College at 5 p.m., and the Roadrunners follow against San Jac at 7 p.m. at Jase Magers Field in Lufkin.
The e-mail address for AC’s Sports Information Director is gstallard@angelina.edu.
