Daily Newsletters
Account
Washington Evening Journal
111 North Marion Avenue
Washington, IA 52353
319-653-2191
Demons, Golden Hawks fall 1 game short
Area boys soccer teams fall in Substate final games
CEDAR RAPIDS — It takes quite a lot to even get into the position the Washington and Mid-Prairie boys soccer teams found themselves in on Wednesday night.
The Demons and Golden Hawks were each one win away from the state soccer tournament, but each had quite the task at hand. Washington traveled to Class 3A’s fifth-ranked team in Cedar Rapids Xavier. Mid-Prairie played at Regina, the No. 2 team in Class 1A.
Washington fell 4-0 to the Saints. Mid-Prairie dropped its game 2-0.
The Demons came into the night having won 11 games on the season, only the team’s second double-digit win season in recent memory.
Washington had some chances in the first half, but the Demons let up two goals and couldn’t score.
Xavier’s Wyatt Herding broke the scoreless tie with a header goal midway through the first period, and the Saints scored once more in the final five minutes to take momentum into the halftime break.
“At halftime, we talked about how we take it one game at a time,” said Washington head coach Sally Hart. “We've had some games where we were down 2-0 at half, and we were hoping we would bounce back like we did earlier in the season.”
The Demons had chances early, getting a corner kick right away and keeping the pressure on the Xavier net, but no matter how close Washington got, they could never put a goal on the board.
“The first 30 minutes of the second half, I feel like we really dominated,” said Hart. “Unfortunately, we couldn't get a goal and turn the tide.”
And as the night went on, Xavier started get the better of the chances. Herding sent two more daggers into the net before it was over, collecting a hat-trick to put away the Demons.
Freshman Braedon Tappan started in net for Washington. Omar Roman saw time as well.
The game was the last for a talented senior class that includes all-time leading scorer Emanuel Raymundo, Bill De La Rosa, Brayan Arreola, Angel Mata, Isaac Gentry, Lane Schrock and Randy Huertero, seven of the team’s 10 goal scorers.
Also finishing out their careers at Washington are Roman, Fernando Ortega and Andrew Starr.
“Washington soccer has grown all the way from preschool level all the way to varsity level. A big part of that is the WASP program,” said Hart. “A lot of these guys that are graduating were my first WASP guys, and they're building a legacy in Washington that is going to be really strong.”
Mid-Prairie’s fate was sealed slowly, as the Golden Hawk defense kept Regina off the board for the most part, but the Regals scored one goal in the first half and one in the second to pull out the victory.
The Golden Hawks were coming off a double-digit win season of their own. Mid-Prairie knocked off Sigourney-Keota and Hillcrest Academy in the tournament before finally succumbing to Regina.
Both Xavier and Regina will play at the state soccer tournament this week.
