WHITE SALMON — The Columbia High School (CHS) Bruins boys soccer team finished their final home game of the regular season with a dominant performance at home against the King’s Way Knights (12-4-2).
On Senior Night (May 6), the seniors stepped up to help the Bruins to a 4-0 win over the Knights. The first half saw King’s Way on the front foot and creating the lion’s share of chances on goal but the game remained scoreless. With 10 minutes left in the half, senior center back Alex Baldwin went down with a knee injury and Cole Wooding performed a scissor move that froze his defender and launched a kick past the King’s Way goalkeeper.
The Bruins scored again a minute later when the Knights failed to clear the ball on a CHS corner and Isaac Reynoso tapped the ball past the defense. In the second half with 10 minutes left, King’s Way had an opportunity to make the game close but CHS’ goalkeeper, Ricardo Cortez, made spectacular save on Luke Gomes’ penalty kick to preserve a clean sheet. Cole Wooding scored his second of the night on some good passing between senior Ulices Huerta and Isaac Reynoso who fed the ball to Wooding who finished the play neatly into the side of the net. Ulices Huerta scored the games fourth and final goal on a pass from Anderson Hernandez Pena.
The Bruins closed out their regular season in a gritty, physical game at Seton Catholic on May 8. Despite the game being in Vancouver, the stands were packed with CHS supporters.
The game remained knotted at 0-0, until early in the second half when the Cougars’ Zeek Valencia-Mendez hit a free kick that the Bruins failed to clear and Seton’s Easton Ross was able to slot past Cortez. Finally, Cole Wooding launched a free kick into the box that center back Damian Sanchez got a touch to and headed the ball past goalkeeper Zach Catherall. CHS was able to hold on to the 1-1 tie and clinched a league championship.
On Saturday, May 10, CHS cruised to a 6-0 win over the visiting Spartans of Forks in the first round of the District playoffs. Hernandez Pena scored the first three goals of the game. Pablo Santos Salceida, Reynoso and Wooding also scored for the Bruins. Defensemen Sanchez, Juan Santoyo Luna, and Bridger Gilchrist helped Keeper Cortez to preserve the clean sheet.
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