Wilsonville gets close win over Crescent Valley in round 1 of the boys soccer playoffs
Calvin Lucas leads a charge against the Crescent Valley Raiders.
On Tuesday November 2, 2016 the Wilsonville Boys soccer team took on the Crescent Valley Raiders in a first round playoff game at Wilsonville High School. As the teams took the field for pregame warm ups you could feel the tension in the air. A cold clear night at Wilsonville High made for a great night of spectating.
The Raiders weren’t slow to start being aggressive. On the kickoff they opted out of the traditional short pass but instead looked deep for a pressing striker. The Wilsonville defense was there to stop the push then and for the remainder of the game.
In the first five minutes of the game the Cats kept the ball in Raider territory taking attempt after attempt at goal. In one of the attempts Edgar Hernandez-Flores made a great through pass to Calvin Lucas in the box but the dynamic duo couldn’t finish the play. Riley King was also able to keep the Raiders defense on their toes in the first half. Later in the 24th minute there was a close shot that dipped just over the crossbar by Hernandez-Flores. Not too long after at the 27th minute Lucas was able to punch one in to give the Wildcats a 1-0 lead of the Raiders.
As the game carried on the student section began to fill. By the 30th minute the student section was electric. With almost a full student section the Wildcat student body was represented and supporting their squad.
After the goal by Lucas the Wildcats moved to a defensive scheme which would be apparent for the rest of the game. Lucas commented on the shift saying, “After we score we tend to drop back. It gives us more options. We just want to get the 1-0 win but against better teams we will have to keep attacking.” The defense was lead by Sophomore Defender Henry Tellez and Junior goalkeeper Oscar Baron. In the 32nd minute Baron made a diving save, his first of the game. Later in the 39th minute, the Raiders corner kick attempt was punched out by Baron to help the Wildcats go into the half with a 1-0 lead.
The second half turned into a defensive battle between two sound defenses. As the Raiders became more and more aggressive the Wildcat defense had to protect their close 1-0 lead. In the 68th minute Baron made his biggest save of the game to preserve the lead. The Raiders started to get desperate and put more and more pressure on the Wildcat defense. In the 75th minute Baron jumped over a Raiders striker on a corner kick.
As the Wildcats started to hold the ball in Raider territory in the 79th minute the Wilsonville student section began chanting, “We believe we just won!” As the student body began chanting the Raiders took over possession. When asked about what was going through his head when he heard the chant Baron commented, “They are probably saying it too soon.” They pushed down the field but weren’t able to prevail. With solid defense by Tellez, Senior Carlos Ulloa, Freshman Ryan McCord, and Baron the Wildcats were able to get through with the win at home. After the game Baron praised his defense saying, “The defense played really well, Henry, Ryan, and Carlos, they played amazing today. I think defense won the game today, especially in a 1-0 game.” Lucas also chimed in regarding the defense that has played well since the Hillsboro nightmare, “We have scored a bunch in the last six games and haven’t allowed any. I think our defense will play well going forward.”
Next week the Wildcats play the Hillsboro Spartans who beat the Wildcats 6-0 in Hillsboro in early October. When Baron heard about playing the Spartans all he could say was, “Hillsboro has something coming.” The Spartans gave the Wildcats a run for their money a month ago but this Wildcat team has evolved since that rough night in Hillsboro.
