Going into last Thursday’s Intermountain Conference boys soccer game versus the Crook County Cowboys, The Dalles High Riverhawks were winless in their previous three contests. But facing the winless Cowboys (0-6 IMC, 0-10 overall) proved to be the solution to ending the slump.
The Dalles topped the host Cowboys, 4-1, in Prineville. The Dalles built a 4-0 halftime lead as leading scorer Hulises Najera and junior midfielder Daniel Contolan scored two goals apiece.
In order for the Hawks to have a realistic shot at going to the Class 5A state playoffs the first week in November, they would more than likely need to win two of their last three games. That makes Thursday’s 4:30 p.m. home game at Wahtonka versus the No. 11 ranked Ridgeview Ravens (4-2 IMC, 6-4-1 overall) a critical must-win situation.
The Dalles (3-2-1 IMC, 4-4-2 overall), guided by Coach Jesus Granados and assistant Matt Dallman, is in fourth place in the six-team IMC. With three games left in the regular season, the Hawks are hoping to overtake the Redmond Panthers for third place to secure an OSAA Class 5A state playoff berth. The Dalles faced the Pendleton Buckaroos (1-5 IMC, 2-9 overall) in its last game Tuesday at Pendleton (result was after the printed edition deadline).
“We’re starting to play with more consistency now,” said Dallman, who was the Hawks’ head coach the previous six years. “I would say that it’s definitely a must-win game for us Thursday against Ridgeview. That’s a team that we’re capable of beating. I think it’s going to be really difficult for us to get second place in league. Our focus is going to be to try and get third place and we’re capable beating Redmond. We just have to take it one game at a time.”
Following Thursday’s contest, the Hawks have another key game Oct. 26 at 6 p.m. against the Redmond Panthers (4-2 IMC, 4-6 overall) at Redmond High School. The Dalles concludes the regular season Oct. 28 with a 4:30 p.m. home match against Gorge-area rival Hood River Valley (5-0-1 IMC, 7-1-2 overall).
“We’ve finished in third place in league the last six years and we’re always trying to get into the top two, because then we would have a home game in the state playoffs,” said Dallman. “Another benefit from being in second place is that you have an easier opponent in the first round of the playoffs. You face a stronger opponent when you’re a third-place team. Every team we’ve played in the first round of the playoffs the last six years has almost always won the state championship. It’s nice to get in the playoffs but being a third-place team always makes it difficult, because you have to face a highly ranked team.”
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