High school boys soccer roundup: Wilson shuts out Stadium to claim undefeated 3A PCL title

For several reasons, this one meant more to the Wilson High School Rams boys soccer team.

First, the Rams 2-0 victory over the Stadium Tigers on Saturday afternoon at Stadium Bowl earned Wilson the Class 3A Pierce County League championship in this COVID-19 delayed and shortened season. It’s the only title these teams will have an opportunity to compete for, with no state playoffs in 2021.

“It’s unfortunate that these guys don’t get to go compete for a state championship, see how far they could go,” Wilson coach Jason Gjertsen said. “So this definitely means more. We at least can put a league championship banner in our gym this year.”

Then there’s the fact that this one came against Stadium, a team that the Rams haven’t beaten in at least 15 years. The Tigers and Wilson have tied several times over that span, including a scoreless 0-0 affair during the regular season this spring.

But getting over the hump to a victory had been a no-go until Saturday.

“I feel like beating Stadium is the most significant thing,” Wilson senior Abdullah Mousa said. “This has been a chip on our shoulders for the last four years. It was just meant to be.”

Mousa scored the game-winner on Saturday in the 27th minute.

The senior forward took a pass down the center of the pitch, splitting two Stadium defenders to find himself with nobody between himself and Tigers goalkeeper Hayden Flynn. Mousa took one more touch as he crossed the line at the top of the 18-yard box and skidded his shot along the turf to the left corner of the Stadium goal mouth.

Flynn dove, but the ball just eluded his outstretched glove and rolled into the net for a 1-0 lead. The goal was only the third allowed by the Stadium defense all season, and marked the first time in 10 games that the Tigers (8-1-1) trailed in a game this spring.

“Coach likes to give me a hard time for not scoring,” Mousa said. “There’s a lot of pressure in games like this to get the first goal. It’s crucial to gain the first one.”

Earlier this season, Mousa said he had two or three good opportunities to score against Stadium when Wilson (10-0-1) tied the Tigers for the host school’s only previous blemish on their schedule.

“He’s a very talented forward,” Gjertsen said. “In fact, he’s coming to play for me next year at TCC. I do tell him, if you get two to three good chances, you’ve got to put one in. He got two or three chances today and he put one in.”

The Rams continued to dictate pace and overall play throughout the first half and well into the second.

Wilson added its insurance tally in the 48th minute off a corner kick opportunity. A curving ball came toward Ethan Kelley in the middle of a crowd in front of the Stadium net.

Kelley got a body and a foot to it and slipped it through the crowd and Flynn for a 2-0 advantage.

“They played the better game today,” Stadium coach Jeremy Leffel said. “But I’m really thankful for our 14 seniors. I’m glad they got to redeem something with this season.”

After the second goal went in, the Tigers threw more players forward, pressing up for every opportunity. Stadium created chances in doing so, but Isaac Utrata-Foster, who entered in the goal at halftime for Wilson, was up to the challenge.

Utrata-Foster made several saves, including two on hard-hit shots from close range that he knocked down and grabbed, to secure the Wilson victory.

“Having the chance to come out here, play Stadium, and beat them,” Gjertsen said. “It definitely means more.”

4A SPSL

Emerald Ridge 2, Gig Harbor 1: The Jaguars (8-1) built a two-goal and never looked back on their way to wrapping up the first league title in program history Saturday afternoon at Sparks Stadium.

The two sides were scoreless until late in the first half, but the Jaguars continued to use their speed to attack wide and send the ball in on crosses, and eventually broke through Gig Harbor’s relentless defense.

“We just kept our intensity up and our pressure up,” Emerald Ridge coach Steve Aguilar said.

Sophomore forward Zach Jordan beat the Tides defense on a clearance in the 39th minute to tap in what was ultimately the winning goal.

“I think it sets the tone for the rest of the game of what you want to do,” Aguilar said of Emerald Ridge striking first. “You go in there with a plan and to see it work it kind of reinforces what you’re trying to do.”

Gig Harbor stretched out more in the second half, allowing junior forward Zane May to speed by and score Emerald Ridge’s second goal in the 56th minute.

The Tides scored late, but the Jaguars were well in control by then.

Aguilar also noted the play of sophomore goalkeeper Daniel Barajas, who made three pivotal saves early on, sophomore center back James Del Carmen and junior midfielder Christian Pineda as keys to Emerald Ridge’s win.

“Great team win,” he said. “Great team effort.”

The Jaguars worked their way through a tough 4A SPSL schedule — the two divisions in the 12-team super league included six programs that advanced to the state playoffs in the most recent season in 2019 — dropping their only match to defending state champion Puyallup early on.

Even in a shortened season without a state tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Aguilar said the Jaguars were still motivated to play for a league championship banner they could hang in the gym.

“The kids never wavered,” he said. “They were there to work and to work hard and to win it. Whatever ‘it’ was, they wanted to win it.

“I think that was pretty awesome. And to have our first one with this group of kids was great.”

3A SSC

The 3A SSC determined its champion through regular season results, and there was no question River Ridge was the top team.

In their first season in the league, the Hawks rolled to an undefeated 9-0 record.

Kristin Liukkonen has coached the Hawks’ girls for six years. When the boys job came open at the same moment the uncertainty of the pandemic came around, the school asked her to add another team to her duties.

Good decision. Installing a more aggressive 3-5-2 formation than the returning players were used to implementing, Liukkonen saw her team 3rack up 40 goals offensively and allow just nine defensively, posting four shutouts.

“We pushed them to think outside the box and be on the attack more,” she said. “They questioned it at first, but played really well as a team.”

Trevor Thompson fueled the offense with 10 goals and 18 assists, many to leading scorer Patrick Chapman, who found the net 14 times.

Goalkeeper Saul Serrano totaled 33 saves on the season.

With eight seniors graduating, River Ridge will need to do some rebuilding, but a talented corps of freshmen, led by central defender Shaf Nor, returns in the fall.

Staff writer Lauren Smith and contributing writer Dave Weber contributed to this report.

This story was originally published May 1, 2021 at 4:38 PM.