BLOCKED PASS — Fairmont Area’s Angel Sanchez (13) blocks a pass by Worthington’s Hugo Garcia Arreguin (left) during Big South Conference soccer action Thursday night at Kot Soccer Complex in Fairmont. (Photo by Greg Abel)

FAIRMONT — The Worthington Trojans boys soccer team beat the Fairmont Area Cardinals 8-2 in its regular-season finale on Thursday at the Kot Soccer Complex in Fairmont.

Worthington is in a battle with Marshall for the top spot in the Big South Conference. Entering the day, both had identical 10-1 conference records with one conference game left on the schedule. Worthington won and Marshall traveled to New Ulm.

The Cardinals and Trojans now await their section tournament first-round opponents as the seeds, location and times are announced Sunday.

“We’ve played better in the second half of the season,” Worthington head coach Juan Flores said. “We put it together during the second half after we didn’t play well in the first half. We’re now ready for the section round. We’ll find out who we play on Sunday.”

“They’re a very good team,” Fairmont Area head coach Brady Meyer said. “They’re one of the best teams in the state and they showed that tonight. We’ll find out if we get a home game in the section tournament. Teams No. 2 through 5 are pretty equal. I hope we’re one of the top four seeds and get a home game.”

Fairmont Area actually scored first. Angel Sanchez scored at the 29:15 mark of the first half when his corner kick ended up hooking by Worthington goaltender Maqui Sandoval and found the back of the net.

The one-goal lead lasted two minutes. Jonathan Banegas scored for Worthington at the 27:02 mark of the first half to tie the game 1-all.

The Trojans scored two goals in a 25-second span in the first half to take a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

Jonathan Banegas scored at the 24:01 mark of the first half and Alan Tovar netted the Trojans next goal at the 23:36 mark to make it 3-1, which stood at the half.

The Trojans scored five second-half goals to win comfortably.

Jose Chavez scored at the 37:13 mark of the second half to give Worthington a 4-1 lead, and Cristian Banegas scored on a penalty kick at the 31:47 mark of the final 40 minutes to make it a 5-1 game.

Sandoval played in the field in the second half as Kaleb Knothe took over at goaltender for the final half and scored a goal at the 13:42 mark of the second half.

Worthington’s Juan Soto was credited with a goal when a Fairmont Area defender touched the ball that slid past goaltender Jonathan Heinze at the 9:14 mark of the second half.

Isaiah Lockwood scored at the 8:24 mark, assisted by Theodor Myhre, to bring the Cardinals within five goals at 7-2.

Worthington capped the scoring when Juan Castillo tallied with 14 seconds remaining in the game.

Worthington 3-5–8

Fairmont Area 1-1–2

Scoring Plays

1st Half

FA–Angel Sanchez, 29:15.

WOR–Jonathan Banegas, 27:02

WOR–Jonathan Banegas, 24:01.

WOR–Alan Tovar, 23:36

2nd Half

WOR–Jose Chavez, 37:13.

WOR–Cristian Banegas, (penalty kick), 31:47.

WOR–Maqui Sandoval, 13:42.

WOR–Jose Soto, 9:14.

FA–Isaiah Lockwood, (Theodor Myhre), 8:24.

WOR–Juan Castillo, 0:14.

Shots on goal: Worthington 14; Fairmont Area 8. Corners: Worthington 2; Fairmont Area 5.

Saves: Maqui Sandoval (WOR) 3, Kaleb Knothe (WOR) 3; Jonathan Heinze (FA) 6.

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Girls Soccer

Fairmont Area 4, Worthington 0 — Elayna Anderson netted a playmaker, Kennedy Becker scored two goals and Madi Stromberg pitched a shutout to guide the Cardinals to a 4-0 Big South Conference victory over the Trojans on Thursday night in Worthington.

Karissa Newville converted the first of Anderson’s game-best three assists into the regular-season finale’s initial goal before Anderson set up Becker’s first goal for a 2-0 lead.

Becker then cashed in a pass from Newville to extend the Cardinals’ margin to 3-0 before Anderson dealt an assist to Maia Goerndt for a twine-finding shot.

Stromberg made four saves between the pipes for Fairmont Area (4-11-1), which awaits its matchup for the Section 2A playoffs that kick off next Thursday.

Nola Thedens and Mary Bennett each kicked home the game’s only goal as Fairmont Area topped Worthington, 1-0, in junior varsity action Thursday.

Bethie Bennett made one first-half save for the Cardinals, while Addie Folkerts tallied four stops during the second half.