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Ortega pushes his goals total to 27, tying Spence's Ozark single-season record

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Adrian Ortega’s hot start to this season piqued his curiosity enough that he wondered aloud one day at practice what was Ozark’s single-season goals record.

“I was scoring a bunch and as a joke I asked what the record was,” Ortega said. “(Ozark coaches) didn’t know and weren’t expecting anyone to beat the record. We got it figured out when I was at 18 already and I figured I should go for it.”

Ortega’s quest has continued at a frenetic pace and he notched a pair goals in Ozark’s 3-1 triumph versus Carthage on Tuesday to tie the program’s single-season goals record.

Ortega and 2019 grad Lawson Spence currently share the record at 27 goals, with Ozark having six regular-season matches remaining.

Ortega is optimistic he can break the record as soon as Thursday’s match at Parkview. He’s hoping in whatever match he sets a new standard that he can have the game ball as a keepsake.

“We can do that,” coach Zack Owens said.

“That would be nice. Sweet, I’ll keep it,” Ortega said.

Owens has been amazed that Ortega has kept such a torrid pace, averaging 1.4 goals a match, given the notoriety he has received as southwest Missouri’s top scorer.

“Teams know how dangerous he is,” Owens said. “But he is still scoring. He’s a force to be reckoned with.” 


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