Gio magana scored three goals this week for HRV boys soccer – twice in Tuesday’s win against Franklin (pictured here) and a late game-winning goal Thursday at Cleveland.
Gio magana scored three goals this week for HRV boys soccer – twice in Tuesday’s win against Franklin (pictured here) and a late game-winning goal Thursday at Cleveland.
Although too early in the season to put much stock in the rankings, Hood River Valley High School varsity boys soccer lived up to its 5A No. 1 status Tuesday afternoon in a commanding 5-2 win over 6A No. 2 ranked Franklin. The Eagles then went on the road Thursday to Cleveland for a rematch of last season’s state quarterfinal against the Warriors; the 2-1 win puts HRV at 4-0 with four more games remaining before the start of Columbia River Conference action at the end of the month (Sept. 30, home vs. Pendleton).
“At this point it’s just hype,” coach Jaime Rivera said about the current 5A rankings. “I think we’ve taken the necessary steps to earn that ranking, but it’s not something we’re focusing on. Actually, it means we need to be more careful; every team we’re going to come up against is going to want to take us down.”
On Tuesday HRV came out with an aggressive attack, putting Franklin on its heels early on and giving its defense and goalie a constant onslaught of offensive pressure. Gio Magana struck first with a textbook chest-high volley off an assist from junior forward Andreas Baeza, who drove down the left wing and sent in a cross that found Magana open front of the goal.
In their first of two goals in the game – both scored in similar fashion — Franklin countered quickly and capitalized on HRV players pushing too far forward to even the score.
“That’s something we’re trying to improve on from last year,” Rivera said. “We cannot score goals and then turn around and let the other team score on us right away. Against better teams, you give them a little momentum and before you know it you find yourself in a big hole.”
Magana found the back of the net again a couple minutes later, off an assist from Alex Gutierrez, who threaded the ball between two defenders to open space, where Magana struck the ball in stride past a diving Franklin goalie. Next it was Gutierrez’s turn to get on the board as he drove between two defenders, blasted a shot that was deflected and followed-up on the rebound for an open look at the goal. Franklin again capitalized on HRV’s forward-pressing formation to put themselves back in the game with a goal just before the end of the first half.
Both second-half goals went to senior forward Jaime Frias; in the first he gave a cha-cha lesson to a Franklin defender before finding the lower corner of the goal, and in his second he took an assist by Magana, who drove down the left wing before dishing the ball to Frias at the last second.
Manuel Mozqueda and Magana had goals in Thursdays road win, with assists by Aldo Muro and Noah Noteboom. After Thursday’s 5A action across the state, OSAA updated its rankings and bumped Summit up to No. 1 and HRV down to No. 5. The two teams will face off in a rematch of last year’s state finals on Sept. 18, 4:30 p.m. at Westside.
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