The Vashon High School boys’ soccer team became the 1A District 3 Champions for the first time in history this past week. The Vashon Pirates obliterated the Coupeville Wolves and then the Charles Wright Academy Tarriers. Both teams would eventually be eliminated from the State tournament.
On Tuesday, the Vashon Pirates played against the Coupeville Wolves. The Pirates managed to beat Coupeville 8-4 despite missing key players Richard Rivas-Gutierrez and Christian White due to injury. The goals were scored by Alden Hinden-Stevenson with 3, Tommy Delargy with 2, Finley Oswald with 2 and Jakob Heuschert with 1.
As Vashon was running all over Coupeville, there was another game being played at Silverdale Stadium. Charles Wright and Klahowya were fighting for the other spot in the final. The game was tied 2-2 and sent to a penalty shootout in which Charles Wright won 4-3 due to Klahowya midfielder, Mason Joe, missing the first penalty of the shootout.
The 1A District 3 Championship match was set, and it was the Vashon Pirates vs. Charles Wright Academy Tarriers. The Pirates demonstrated a beautiful style of play by dominating the ball. The Pirates won 1-0. The goal was scored in the 25th minute in the game after Tommy Delargy took the ball in the midfield and ran past four defenders down the wing to shoot the ball past the keeper, hitting the post and in. Vashon beat Charles Wright in every aspect maintaining the ball 53 percent of the whole game. Charles Wright captains Adam Berg and Billy Chissoe were shut down throughout the game due to impressive defensive play by the back line: Christian White, Ryan Weller, Kieran Enzian, Elliot Eades and midfielders Fredy Gutierrez and Finley Oswald.
Klahowya played Coupeville that same day and beat Coupeville 3-0. That meant that Klahowya and Charles Wright had to play each other again to take the second seed in the 3rd District for the State tournament. This time Klahowya didn’t let down and managed to beat Charles Wright 2-1 after a goal in the last minutes of the game.
Vashon Island is now set to play its first game of the State tournament this upcoming week against University Prep (9-4-2). If Vashon beats the University Prep Pumas, they have the possibility to square up with Columbia High School or returning State Champions, Overlake High School.
The Vashon Island Pirates are prepared for all obstacles that are coming their way and are going to fight until the very end of the tournament. Goal scorer Delargy wants to prove to everyone that all the 34 goals he has this season aren’t a fluke. Behind him is a hungry midfield that looks better than ever, including Oswald, Hinden-Stevenson, Fredy Gutierrez, JJ Bogaard and Heuschert. And then, no one can even compete with the power and speed of the Pirates backline. White regularly mixes it up on the wing with enemy strikers, playing mind games and showing he is not scared. Enzian is the mind behind the whole defensive line. Elliot Eades picks strikers apart with his speed and strength, and Ryan Weller consistently exhibits his ninja skills as a defender. Then lastly there is goalkeeper Richard Rivas-Gutierrez, who always shows why he is the man that keeps opponents from penetrating the Vashon goal. The Vashon bench is also so full with talent that it is the envy of all other teams. The amount of dedication and effort Vashon players put into each match is astonishing. Everything about this team right now is perfect: from the atmosphere of joy around this team to the pride they show in representing our home, Vashon Island.
— Reynaldo Rivas is the varsity team manager.
