By Alex Webbe
The Villages weren’t quite finished with the weekend’s festivities as the Central Florida club hosted a “Young Guns” contest between a handful of polo’s up-and-coming stars. Teams sponsored by The Tackeria (Matt Coppola, Shelby Fussell, Carlitos Gracida, Trevor Niznik and Matias Sosa) took on Polo Gear (Harrison Wise, Mariano Gracida, Trevor Allen, Alejandro Gonzalez) in a four chukker match that saw every player getting in at least three chukkers of action.
It didn’t take long to get things started as 1-goaler Carlitos Gracida (son of legendary Carlos Gracida) took the opening throw-in carrying it down the field for a goal and a 1-0 Tackeria. The passes were crisp and the action was fluid, but The Tackeria got into foul trouble as Trevor Allen (2) converted two sixty-yard penalty shots, and Polo Gear took a 2-1 lead. Mariano Gracida (another of Carlos’ sons) made it 3-0 on a shot from the field. A moment later a goal from Alejandro Gonzalez (son of Roberto) made it 4-1, and the first chukker ended.
The Tackeria mounted a number of charges to begin the second period of play when a foul by Polo Gear gave The Tackeria a scoring opportunity. Carlitos Gracida converted the sixty-yard penalty shot and cut the lead to 4-2. Both teams carried the play toward their opponent’s goal, but scoring was hard to come by. Trevor Allen scored the final goal of the chukker with a shot from the field for a 5-2, halftime lead for Polo Gear.
The Polo Gear defense shut down The Tackeria in the third chukker as it collected goals from Mariano Gracida and another penalty conversion from Allen. The bell sounded with The Tackeria trailing 7-2 with one chukker left to play.
There was no lack of enthusiasm, but scoring was hard to come by in the final seven minutes of play. Trevor Allen’s fifth goal of the game came on a forty-yard penalty shot, giving Polo Gear an almost insurmountable 8-2 lead in the opening minutes of the final chukker. Undeterred, The Tackeria continued to attack, managing a single goal from Carlitos Gracida to end the scoring.
Trevor Allen led all scoring with five goals on the day. Mariano Gracida added two goals and teammate Alejandro Gonzalez added a single goal for the win. Carlitos Gracida scored all three goals for The Tackeria.
OAKDALE 13, MEXICO 8
In the spirit of international competition The Villages has become so well known for,
two 15-goal teams took to the field for the final match of the day that featured accurate hitting and hard riding.
Oakdale lined up with Max Stevens (1) at Number 1; Stacy Stover (3) at Number 2; Alan Martinez (6) at Number 3; and Eddy Martinez (5) at Back.
Mexico featured the president of the Mexican Polo Federation, Rogelio Igartua (1); Jose Fernandez (1); Roberto Gonzalez (6); Luis Escobar (7) and the Secretary of the Mexican Polo Federation, Guillermo Steta (1).
The friendly competition quickly turned competitive with team Mexico picking up goals from Roberto Gonzalez and Rogelio Iguartua before Eddy Martinez got Oakdale on the scoreboard. Luis Escobar scored the final goal of the chukker, as Mexico rode off the field with a 3-1 advantage.
Escobar opened the scoring in the second period with another goal from the field before goals from Stover and Alan Martinez (penalty shot) cut the Mexican lead to 4-3.
The third chukker was all Oakdale. Stover and Eddy Martinez each notched one from the field while Alan Martinez converted a Safety for a 6-4 lead. Efforts by Mexico to gather its offense fell flat as a stubborn Oakdale defense held them scoreless. Oakdale left the field at halftime on the topside of a 6-4 game.
An energized Oakdale team returned to the field for a fourth chukker in which they totally dominated. Well-placed passes and accurate shooting soon found Oakdale leading 10-4 as the offense sputtered for Mexico. Alan Martinez opened the scoring in the fourth period with a goal followed by two goals from Eddy Martinez and a single goal from Max Stevens. Mexico was unable to break through the Oakdale defense and was shut out for the second consecutive period.
In the fifth chukker Mexico had reshuffled its attack and the tactics paid off. Goals from Iguartua, Steta, Escobar and Gonzalez silenced the Oakdale attack, and the chukker ended with Mexico trailing by only two goals, 10-8.
Whatever Mexico had going for itself in the fifth chukker was gone in the final period as Oakdale scored three unanswered goals while blanking the Mexican offense. Goals from Stevens, Eddy and Alan Martinez gave Oakdale a handy 13-8 win and an exciting finish to a great weekend of polo at The Villages.