GARDEN CITY – All games are the same in the wins and loss columns. But, obviously, some games are a bit more important than others.
The Barton men’s soccer team has one of those important games Saturday when it travels to Concordia to take on the defending Jayhawk West champion Cloud County.
But, first things first. For that game to keep its importance, the Cougars had to pick up a road win Wednesday in Garden City.
Barton did just that, winning 5-1 in the West contest to improve to 2-0 in the West and 6-1 overall. Garden City is now 0-2 and 2-5.
The No. 14 Cougars scored the game’s first goal on a Colin Roemer penalty kick. Filippo Reggio was tripped in the box in the opening 10 minutes, setting up Roemer’s PK for his 9th goal of the year.
Garden tied the game 10 minutes later and that is how things went to half.
In the opening minute of the half, Hiroo Kimura put in a header off a Roemer corner kick for the 2-1 lead. That would be a sign of things to come in the final 45 minutes.
The lead grew to 3-1 when Sora Wakabayashi scored on a one-touch cross from Roemer. Roemer got into position on a long pass from Toranosuke Abe to set up the play with 37 minutes left on the game.
The Cougars weren’t content with the 2-goal lead. Barton made it 4-1 on a header from Chris Camilli off a Benjamin Zamora corner kick less than 10 minutes later. The Cougars added a late goal for the final margin on an Ezra Armstrong goal.
That sets up the showdown with Cloud Saturday. The Thunderbirds, the preseason No. 7 team in the country before a loss to Northern Oklahoma-Tonkawa, will bring a 2-0 West record and a 4-1 overall mark into the game.

Barton 5, Garden City 1
Barton 1 4 – 5
Garden 1 0 – 0
Barton – Colin Roemer (PK), 8:00
Garden – Unavailable, 18:00
Barton – Hiroo Kimura (Roemer), 46:00
Barton – Sora Wakabayashi (Toranosuke Abe, Roemer), 53:00
Barton – Chris Camilli (Benjamin Zamora), 61:00
Barton – Ezra Armstrong (Jose Escobedo), 85:00