All varsity and JV players should come out on Thursday, February 21, 2013 for a last game to celebrate the season. This will be a three-part scrimmage. We will be playing against Oakland International High on the Tech field. There will be three short games, with the first game kicking off at 4p. First the varsity starters. Then remaining upperclassmen game. Then underclassmen game. See you all there!

Tech prevailed 2-0 in a hard fought battle with Skyline at Oakland Tech on Valentine’s Day to clinch its second OAL title in a row. It was the last game of the regular season for Oakland Tech with the championship on the line. In the first half, Tech fell prey to Skyline’s game plan. After Tech dominated possession in their previous encounter at Skyline (a scoreless draw), the Titans came out determined to prevent that from happening again. Skyline’s tactic was simple. They smashed any and every ball hard and high towards the Bulldog center backs, turning the game into a choppy, sloppy affair, and preventing our boys from generating any consistent rhythm. Still, despite the chaotic nature of the half, the Bulldogs managed to create three dangerous opportunities directly in front of the net, but unfortunately could not convert. The halftime whistle blew with the score knotted at zero. In the second half, Tech adjusted to Skyline’s strategy, and began having more success generating play out of the chaos the Titans were trying to impose. Slowly but surely, Tech began controlling the ball and generating danger. A nice buildup finished with Julio Amaya muscling a defender off the ball and smashing it into the net. The ref apparently felt that Amaya was too forceful and called off the goal. But Julio would not be denied. A nice combination up the left side ended with Amaya cutting in front of the goal for a shot. As he made a move to the right just inside the penalty box, a Skyline defender cut him down and the ball rolled to a wide open Emerson Garcia directly in front of goal. Before Garcia could get a shot off, the ref blew his whistle and pointed to the spot. Had the referee missed the advantage call and given a free kick just outside the box, it might have been the Bulldogs who flipped out. Instead, it was the Skyline team who went ballistic, sensing correctly that their game plan would not work down a goal. Amidst the pandemonium, Onah Powers decisively picked up the ball, placed it on the spot, and waited for his chance to put the Bulldogs ahead. And he waited. And waited. The Skyline players were distraught and letting the ref know. Their coach was issued a caution. Several players needed to be calmed down. After what seemed like an eternity, Powers heard the sweet sound of the whistle, took a hesitation step towards the ball (causing his coaches to all suffer heart attacks) and slotted home the go-ahead goal just out of the keeper’s reach. With the seal broken, and Skyline forced to generate play, spaces opened up. The boys, their tension released by the goal, took full advantage and quickly doubled their lead with a superb first time strike from Zach Spindle. Tech created several more opportunities but there would be no third goal. Instead, the boys had to settle for the OAL title. Congratulations Bulldogs!