Much-improved David Douglas passed its biggest test of the boys soccer season Monday night.
The unranked Scots made a first-minute goal stand up for a 1-0 home win over No. 3 Central Catholic in a key Mt. Hood Conference match. They improved to 9-0-1 overall, 3-0 in the conference, with a first-place showdown looming Wednesday against Reynolds (6-2-1, 3-0).
David Douglas struck 51 seconds into the game against the Rams (9-2, 2-1) when junior midfielder Junior Huskic scored on a header off a free kick by junior midfielder Ezekiel Hutchison.
“It definitely shook the nerves off right away,” Scots coach Logan Marquart said. “They were confident going in, but when you see the ball go in early, you're kind of like, 'OK, we've got this.'”
Senior goalkeeper Troy Hockett came through with a couple big saves to deny Central Catholic. The Scots' defense – led by senior center back Luong Lam, junior center back Brandon Hernandez Cruz and senior midfielder Christian Garcia Perez – held strong despite the Rams increasing the pressure in the second half.
“Everybody kind of sacrificed. Everybody dropped back and defended,” Marquart said. “It was a little stressful, but we found a way to get it done.”
David Douglas has come a long way in the last two seasons. The Scots finished 2-9-3 in 2021 and improved to 8-6-1 last year, falling in the first round of the 6A playoffs. The only blemish on their record this season is a 1-1 tie at Oregon City on Sept. 18.
“They're believing in what we're working towards and they're seeing the results,” Marquart said. “They're confident. We'll celebrate the victories as they come, but we're trying not to look too far out in front of us.”
Monday's win was David Douglas' fourth one-goal victory in its last five matches. In that stretch, the Scots also defeated Parkrose 1-0, McDaniel 1-0 and Clackamas 2-1.
Junior midfielder Jaime Rodriguez Davila scored on a free kick with two seconds left to beat McDaniel. Hutchison produced the winner against Clackamas inside the final five minutes when he got loose in the wing and beat the keeper one-on-one.
Marquart, who coached the Scots into the state semifinals in 2018, likes how his team has responded under pressure.
“They're showing they've got the talent and the ability to win tight games,” said Marquart, who is in his 12th season as the team's coach. “They definitely have the potential to have some success in the playoffs. The tight games we've had the last couple weeks are a really good lesson for them going into playoff time.”
Lam and senior midfielder Yoke Duku, fourth-year varsity players, are the team's vocal leaders. Garcia Perez helps make things go in the midfield.
“He's our motor, our engine,” Marquart said. “He's not the most vocal, but when things are tight, you can count on him being in the right spot, making the right plays.”
The Scots share the load on offense. In an 8-1 win over South Albany, they got goals from eight different players.
“When they've got someone with an easier shot, they've made the decision to play the simple ball,” Marquart said.
David Douglas lost 11 seniors from last season but has taken a step forward this year with a mix of strong leadership and young talent that is coming of age.
“We had good freshmen and sophomores last year but they weren't quite ready to step up to the varsity level,” Marquart said. “We kind of knew going in that we were going to have the talent. We added talent to the starters that we replaced, maybe with the exception of one or two guys.”
This week presented a big opportunity for the Scots. They can take sole possession of first place Wednesday with a home win over Reynolds.
“It would've been nice to have a little bit more rest between the games, but we'll be ready,” Marquart said.
Highlights from the past week:
Boys
Henley suffered its first loss, falling 2-1 at Phoenix in a 4A Skyline Conference match Oct. 5. Tanner Morris scored both goals for Phoenix. … Franklin (8-2-2, 3-0-1) and Cleveland (6-3-3, 3-0-1) remain tied for first place in the 6A Portland Interscholastic League after a 0-0 tie Monday at Franklin. … South Salem (5-5-1, 4-0) took over first place in the 6A Central Valley Conference with a 2-0 win over McNary (5-3-2, 3-1) on Friday. The Saxons got goals in the 42nd minute from Josue Ruleas and in the 78th minute from Tristan Olvera. … 5A La Salle Prep has outscored opponents 34-2 in a six-match winning streak. Kevin Serrano-Maldonado scored five goals in the last two games. …
4A Newport (7-0-2) stayed unbeaten by tying Stayton 1-1 on Oct. 3, getting the equalizer from Anthony Gonzalez, who added two goals in an 8-0 win over Cascade on Oct. 5. Gonzalez has a team-high 11 goals. … 6A Willamette has bounced back from its only defeat – 4-1 at South Medford – with four consecutive wins to stay on top in the 6A Southwest Conference. Carlos Ariel de Dios Cruz scored six goals in the the team's last two wins. … Catlin Gabel ended Westside Christian's 10-game winning streak with a 1-0 road win Saturday in a 3A/2A/1A Special District 1 match. … 5A Hood River Valley handed 6A No. 1 Lakeridge its first loss, winning 2-1 at home Oct. 2. The Eagles trailed 1-0 before getting goals from Felipe Mendez and Aran Garcia in a one-minute span late in the first half. … Gresham's Yahir Galindo had a hat trick in a 3-2 win over Barlow.
Girls
Henley won at Hidden Valley 1-0 on Monday to stand alone in first place in the 4A Skyline Conference. …. Caldera (7-1-3, 5-0-1) still holds a lead over Summit (4-4-2, 4-1-1) atop the 5A Intermountain Conference after the teams tied 0-0 Friday at Summit. The teams meet again at Caldera in the regular-season finale Oct. 25. … Jesuit surrendered its second goal of the season Monday in a 2-1 victory at Sunset in a 6A Metro League match. The Crusaders (12-0, 4-0) have outscored their foes 70-2. … Nylah Vanthom helped Banks secure a berth in the 3A/2A/1A playoffs by scoring four goals in wins over Corbett, De La Salle North Catholic and Riverdale. Josie Kimmel had three goals and three assists against De La Salle North Catholic. …
Sheldon stayed in first place in the 6A Southwest Conference with a 5-1 win at North Medford on Saturday, getting three goals from Dani Haverland. … Sutherlin's Paige Edmonson went off for six goals as the Bulldogs routed Coquille/Myrtle Point 6-1 on Saturday. … Camryn Johansen accounted for all three of Willamette's goals in a 3-3 tie against Roseburg. … Cleveland's Lolla Pierce scored both of her team's goals in 1-1 ties against Lincoln and Grant. … Nelson's Simone Sideris provided all the offense for the Hawks as they tied Central Catholic 2-2 and David Douglas 1-1.
jerryu@osaa.org
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