Success breeds success on the HRV pitch: Hood River Valley soccer teams open season at Class 6A Franklin

The Eagle girls team has qualified for state for six straight seasons, starting in 2014, and nine of the past 13. Included in that run were back-to-back state semifinal appearances in 2014 and 2015. HRV’s teams are beneficiaries of established youth programs and consistently strong turnouts of athletes almost every year. This season, albeit a short one, is no different.

HRV boys soccer

Coach Jaime Rivera, in his 11th season as HRV head coach, welcomed more than 60 players to tryouts last week. Rivera has ushered a lot of talent through his program. The foundation for this year’s team started in elementary school, when this year’s crop of players was watching the Eagles’ state playoff dominance. “I tell my players: ‘The younger ones are watching you.’ They have always looked up to the older athletes,” he said.

This season, local grade schoolers will have their eyes on a talented, albeit young Eagle team. It’s not hyperbole when someone of Rivera’s experience describes the practice efforts of his key players as, “like they’re trying out for the (Portland) Timbers.”

“It’s really nice to finally see the new talent,” he said of the players who will replace seven graduated seniors. HRV was 10-5-2 in 2019, losing to Ashland, 2-0, in the state quarterfinals.

Rivera said the Eagle midfield will be led by junior co-captain Jaden Dubon, a third-year varsity player; and fellow juniors Cody Cornejo and Robert Rowan. Senior co-captain Jose Baeza and sophomore Danny Villafana will help man the defense. Up front, Rivera said junior forward Milo Clarkson has been keeping busy with club soccer, which is evident in early workouts. Dubon, Rowan and Baeza were second-team, all-league picks in 2019.

Hood River’s nine-match season begins March 4 with a 7:30 p.m. contest at Portland’s Franklin, the 2019 Class 6A state champion. League matches begin March 9 at Pendleton. Rivera said the Franklin match will be a good test for his young squad. The Quakers had 11 juniors on their 2019 state champion team, which beat HRV 3-0 in a non-league match.

“It’s always important for a young group to have some chances for success (early),” he said. “(But) this is a special season.” Rivera said he and his coaches just want to make the best of any chance they get to play. “We think we have the team to give them a good match.”

The OSAA has said it will not host state playoffs this season, which Rivera said will put more emphasis on league matches. “We’re just kind of accepting it,” he said. “If conference championships haven’t been important in the past, then they sure will be this year.” Hood River has won nine league titles in Rivera’s 10 previous seasons. The Eagles had a streak of 31 league matches without a loss from 2013 to 2018.

HRV girls soccer

Coach Amanda Orand has somewhat of a different situation than Rivera, in that some of her returning players decided not to come out this season for a variety of reasons (most of them COVID related). Overall numbers are down, but the Eagles still will have an experienced, talented team on the field this spring.

Orand said after last season, “I would have said that … we would definitely have been in the running of competing for first place this year.” But the combination of the players who decided not to turn out, and the unknowns of new players, tempered her expectations a bit. “The good teams are those who have played together. We have a good chunk of players who have done that,” she said. “Our real challenge is going to be coming together quickly. ... Our team looks quite a bit different.

“They have really missed each other. It’s so good to see them back out there, running around, smiling.”

There are some familiar faces, including seniors Abby McCormack, Mira Olson, Karla Barajas, Briana Santillan, Vanesa Preciado and Magali Amezquita. Orand said each player brings different skills to the mix. For example: McCormack, with her club soccer background, provides leadership; Olson is “our lifeline in our midfield”; and Amezquita is a hard worker on the outside. Preciado was the team’s leading scorer in 2019, with 14 goals, one shy of tying the single-season school record. Junior Amelia Huxtable returns after skipping her sophomore high school season to play club soccer. McCormack, Preciado, and Olson were first-team, all-league selections in 2019.

The HRV girls also open their season at 6A Franklin, on Thursday, and also have always tough La Salle on their non-league schedule (March 22). The Falcons won the 2019 5A state title. League play features a March 16 home match against Ridgeview, the team the Eagles split matches with in 2019, en route to a 9-1 conference record and 9-6 overall.

“Having three Portland teams among our non-league games will really help” get us ready for league, Orand said. “They have year-round players, many who play (on the same team) with each other year-round.” Orand said it can be a hit to the team’s ego when the early season competition is tough, but, “we are just grateful to be out there.”