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.”