Hood River boys open IMC soccer schedule with a bang

Senior co-captains Milo Clarkson, Cody Cornejo and Jaden Dubon led a refocusing, of sorts, which has the 5-1-1 Eagles back on track.

“Our seniors have been outstanding. Those are the guys who are helping us bounce back from that game. If it wasn’t for those guys’ help …” HRV Coach Jaime Rivera’s voice trailed off.

After the loss to La Salle (7-1), which was preceded the week before by a 1-1 tie against Hillsboro, the Eagles posted IMC wins over Ridgeview (6-1); Crook County (8-0); and Redmond (6-0). Ridgeview was the team which tied HRV for the COVID-shortened regular-season championship this past spring — and then beat the Eagles in the season-culminating tourney.

Rivera said the margin of victory against the Ravens (4-3-1) was a surprise to him. “I know that they were missing a (key) player,” he said. “When we play them again (Oct. 14), it’s going to be another tough opponent. Every team gets better; it doesn’t matter who it is.”

The lopsided wins to start league play have been punctuated with a stingy defense led by senior keeper Hugh Dalbey and center back Robert Rowan. “He’s a two-sport athlete,” Rivera said of Rowan’s double-duty this fall as the placekicker on HRV’s 4-1 football team. “He’s been very solid defensively.” Dalbey has not been scored upon in league matches when he has been on the field.

Offensively, Dubon’s hat trick during the three-match streak stood out for Rivera and his team’s share-the-load scoring mentality.

Next up for Hood River is a road match at Pendleton Oct. 5 and senior night Thursday at home against Gorge rival, The Dalles.

“I expect us to go down to Pendleton and play our game,” Rivera said. “On paper we’re probably the stronger team, but we’ll see how things go.”

As far as The Dalles, the coach said: “I know they’re a good team; I don’t have to wonder about that. I know they are. (But) it’s also senior night; that’s a special night. The guys have risen to the challenge in those important games. They’re also motivated.”

Perhaps more so because of the stubbed toe at La Salle.

“They beat us fair and square and but at the same time it gave us some lessons to learn,” Rivera said. “We knew that the next practice was going to be important. We had an important day the next day and we talked about some stuff. We all left that meeting on the same page.

“What you’ve seen the last three games shows that we got some things out; we’ve worked some things out. We realized that we had conference starting (and said) let’s write a new chapter.”