Wild second half leads to Celebration district boys soccer win, 2-1, over Osceola

  • Osceola's Jose Freytez slide-tackles the ball away from Celebration's Santiago Garcia during Wednesday's District 7A-9 championship. PHOTO/MARIO CASAMALHUAPA
    Osceola's Jose Freytez slide-tackles the ball away from Celebration's Santiago Garcia during Wednesday's District 7A-9 championship. PHOTO/MARIO CASAMALHUAPA
  • Celebration's Jose Mora brings the ball upfield. PHOTO/MARIO CASAMALHUAPA
    Celebration's Jose Mora brings the ball upfield. PHOTO/MARIO CASAMALHUAPA
  • Osceola's Kevin Leiva and Celebration's Euclides Sebastiani fight for the ball. PHOTO/MARIO CASAMALHUAPA
    Osceola's Kevin Leiva and Celebration's Euclides Sebastiani fight for the ball. PHOTO/MARIO CASAMALHUAPA
  • Osceola's Jose Marcano works through the Celebration defense. PHOTO/MARIO CASAMALHUAPA
    Osceola's Jose Marcano works through the Celebration defense. PHOTO/MARIO CASAMALHUAPA
  • Campeones! The Celebration Storm claimed the District 7A-9 soccer title. PHOTO/MARIO CASAMALHUAPA
    Campeones! The Celebration Storm claimed the District 7A-9 soccer title. PHOTO/MARIO CASAMALHUAPA
All of the scoring came in a wild second half Wednesday, and it was Celebration claiming another District 7A-9 title with a 2-1 win over Osceola Wednesday at CHS. The Storm (9-2-2) seized the lead on an Osceola (7-5-2) own goal, then extended the lead to 2-0 on a free kick from Angelo Castellano from just outside the penalty area with 13 minutes left. The Kowboys cut the lead on Sebastian Gutierrez's penalty kick, which ended the Storm's six-match defensive scoreless streak, but they held on for the win, a third consecutive district title and a regional playoff berth. "We still made a few mistakes, and Osceola definitely played faster than when we saw them at the OBC tournament," CHS assistant coach Chad Boudreaux said. "They were hungry, but (goalie) Chris (Vargas) bailed us out a number of times. He keeps proving he's one of the best keepers in the state." The Region 7A-3 quarterfinals will begin Feb. 13, and as the No. 2 ranked team in the region behind Boca Raton, the Storm will likely host the 13th and the regional semifinal if they win. Brackets are expected to be announced Friday afternoon by the FHSAA.