The Bobcats led 1-0 at halftime on a Joel Ortiz goal assisted by Aaron Ordaz Zambrano and controlled the ball for most of the game but didn’t add to the lead until 12 minutes left in the second half on a Zambrano free kick that deflected off Newton’s defending wall and past the Cardinal keeper.

The next MHS goal came just over a minute later, as Joel Ortiz set up Rafael Ortiz with a pristine crossing pass directly in front of the goal that created a wide-open space for Rafael and a 3-0 Bobcat lead.

Armando Estrada added a penalty kick in the final minute for the Bobcats, which resulted from the fifth of six yellow cards evenly distributed to the teams in a chippy matchup in Newton.

Marshalltown outshot Newton 22-5, including a 12-2 advantage in shots on goal. It’s the first win in the series with Newton since 2022; the Cardinals won 5-2 in Marshalltown last year. Newton falls to 0-2 on the season.

Next up for the Bobcats (1-0) is a home tournament at Leonard Cole Field. MHS takes on South Tama at 9 a.m., followed by Grundy Center/Gladbrook-Reinbeck vs. Des Moines Christian at 11 a.m. The third-place game is scheduled for a 1 p.m. start, followed by the championship at 3 p.m.