Game Details

Date/Time:	2/5/2000
Location:	Multiple sites with Final Four in Waco
Score:	1-0
Winner:	SA Central Catholic

Central Catholic boys trip Trinity Christian, reach state semis

(Last updated Saturday, Feb 5, 2000)

By Dan McCarney
Special to the Express-News

Nearly 30 years in the sport have done nothing to mellow Central Catholic coach Buz Businger.

"I'm so excited right now. I hardly know what to say," said Businger, 70, after the Buttons' 1-0 victory over Addison Trinity Christian in a TAPPS Class 5A boys regional playoff game Saturday.

Who could blame him?

Businger, along with an equally anxious crowd at Central, had just let out a collective sigh of relief as the Buttons took the lead on sophomore striker Javier Medina's 59th-minute goal before holding off Trinity Christian's mad but fruitless charge for the equalizer.

Central Catholic (13-1-3), which got strong defensive efforts from goalkeeper Ian Patton and sweeper Charlie Spence, advanced to a state semifinal matchup against Fort Worth Nolan (15-5-0) on Friday at Waco.

The Buttons took it on the chin for most of the first half. They can thank Patton for not being down 2-0 at the break.

The senior co-captain made a pair of point-blank saves, including one where he came out of nowhere to smother what should have been an easy tap-in for Trinity Christian.

"I thought I read the ball well, and my defense played very well in front of me," Patton said. "It was just good instincts, I guess."

Making good use of the life their goalkeeper provided, Central was a different team in the final period.

Strikers Medina and Anthony Guevara, a freshman, were particularly dangerous, wreaking more havoc in the first 10 minutes of the second half than they had during the entire first.

After three solid chances, Central broke through in the 59th minute when Medina collected a loose ball on the edge of the goal box and scored.

Medina nearly clinched the win seven minutes later but was foiled on a reflex save — the best of the game — by that same Trinity goalkeeper.

Trinity pushed hard for the equalizer, but only managed a 40-yard free kick in the 88th minute that Patton had no trouble saving.