The first round of the OSAA 4A boys and girls soccer playoffs took place Tuesday and Wednesday. Here’s how it turned out for each Basin team.
Boys
No. 4 Henley 2, No. 13 Philomath 2 (4-3 PKs)
A Philomath (7-6-2) equalizer with 24 seconds left in the second extra time period momentarily stunned Henley (11-2-2) but ultimately gave the Hornets a chance to exorcise some demons.
Henley’s past two seasons ended with shootout losses to lower-seeded teams. Last year, the No. 1 seed Hornets were eliminated in penalties by No. 9 seed North Marion after giving up a 2-0 halftime lead. The Hornets lost the shootout 5-4 despite getting two saves from then-freshman goalkeeper Ivan Garcia.
This time, two saves were enough. Garcia’s stops in the third and fourth rounds of the shootout allowed freshman Ruben Cazares to score the clinching penalty in the fifth, sending Henley to the quarterfinals for the fourth year in a row.
“I was worried about their mindset [going into the shootout] considering how shocking [Philomath’s] last goal got scored,” Henley head coach Lupe Gonzales said.
The game was scoreless at halftime despite the Hornets generating the vast majority of scoring chances in the first 40 minutes. In the 49th minute, sophomore Esias Sapp took a pass and scored at the back post to give the Warriors a 1-0 lead. Henley responded 10 minutes later when sophomore Kylan Weider curled a free kick into the penalty area from the right side and watched classmate Luke Balzotti head it in for his fifth goal of the season.
The Hornets pressed for a winner in the final 20 minutes of regulation but couldn’t convert on multiple good chances. The breakthrough finally came in the 92nd minute, when junior Layne Worrell took a give-and-go pass from Balzotti and slotted it past the goalkeeper for his 15th goal of the year.
With under one minute remaining and Henley seemingly in position to run out the clock, the Hornets bench began preparing to celebrate. Suddenly, Warriors freshman Sammy Hernandez freed himself up to receive a through ball down the middle. With the ball at his feet, he managed to separate from his defender and score.
“We had several guys apologize for their part in the breakdown, but I stopped it immediately and told them to focus and finish out strong,” Gonzales said. “Layne was instrumental and echoed my message and rallied guys to forget and concentrate on PKs.”
Worrell, junior Michael Ruelas and Weider all converted for Henley in the shootout prior to Cazares’ clincher. The Hornets had seven corner kicks to Philomath’s two.
Philomath, which won the 4A championship in 2021, graduates just one senior: Silas Pittman, who initiated the plays that led to both goals and converted for the Warriors in the shootout.
Henley hosts No. 5 seed The Dalles (12-3-0) at 2 p.m. Saturday. The Hornets will try to advance to their second state semifinal in three years, while the Riverhawks will try to advance to their second in a row.
No. 9 Klamath Union 2, No. 8 Tillamook 1
Trailing 1-0 after a highly physical first half, Klamath Union (10-2-2) took control of possession in the second and came back to win its first playoff game since 2011.
Senior Jose Garcia scored the equalizer on a pass from junior Caleb Morton, and junior Luca Manzano Rodriguez finished a cross from classmate Omar Garcia for the winner. Sophomore Manny Garcia made several crucial saves in goal.
It’s the fourth year in a row Tillamook (9-4-2) has lost in the first round. The Cheesemakers were upset by No. 15 seed Crook County as the No. 2 seed last season. They graduate nine seniors from this year’s team: Ben Ryan, Cole Affolter (a second team all-state selection in 2023), Brazen Harris, Noel Gutierrez, Diego Baragan Lara (a first team all-state selection in 2023), Heriberto Macias, Bryan Delatorre, Allen Ramirez and Diego Galicia.
Klamath Union travels to No. 1 seed Stayton (14-0-0) at 4 p.m. Saturday. The game will be a meeting of 4A’s top two defenses; the Pelicans have allowed nine goals this season, while the Eagles have allowed five.
Girls
No. 8 Philomath 1, No. 9 Klamath Union 0
A first-half goal proved to be the difference as Philomath (10-3-2) ended Klamath Union’s (9-4-1) best season in a decade.
The Warriors’ win secured their ninth straight 4A quarterfinal appearance, including the 2020 4A culminating event that was not sponsored by the OSAA.
“This last game did not end how I wanted, but this team not only came together as a team, they really bonded as a family,” Klamath Union head coach Sean Ferns said. “We built so many new memories, good and bad, and these girls will always remember this season and what they have accomplished.”
Wednesday’s game was the last for Pelicans seniors Marley Ogao, Jazmin Wilson, Myleah Vargas and Andi Harmon. The four-player class helped guide Klamath Union to its most wins since 2014 this year, including its first wins over Skyline Conference opponents Hidden Valley and Henley since 2015 and 2017.
“I am going to miss my seniors next year, but I am happy they have been a part of my life and I will not forget them,” Ferns said.
Philomath travels to No. 1 seed Marist Catholic (14-1-1) Saturday at a time TBD.
No. 5 Henley 4, No. 12 Molalla 1
Henley (12-3-0) took a 3-0 lead into halftime and outshot Molalla (7-5-4) 14-1 en route to its first playoff win since 2015.
The Hornets had lost in the first round of the 4A playoffs in the previous seven seasons, excluding the delayed and shortened 2020 season. The past six of those defeats were by one goal.
“Their goal at the beginning of the season was to win a game in the playoffs,” Henley head coach Mike Hedlund said. “They really stepped up and played one of their best games against a good Molalla team.”
Sophomore Prestyn Schade, junior Brisi Flores and freshman Allie Janney scored their 11th, eighth and third goals of the season in the first half. Schade and Flores put Henley up 2-0 in the first 16 minutes. Senior Berniece Clifford made it 4-0 in the second half with her fifth goal of the year before the Indians got on the board with a penalty kick.
The Hornets had 11 corner kicks to Molalla’s two.
The Indians graduate three seniors from this year’s team: Kyllie Gobert, Josie Brooks and Kate Mutchler.
Henley travels to No. 4 seed Scappoose (11-2-2), which is making its third consecutive quarterfinal appearance, at 2 p.m. Saturday. A win would send the Hornets to the semifinals for the first time since their lone state championship game appearance in 1996.
