By Mike Weber
For Columbia Gorge News
THE DALLES — A new era began for the defending Tri-Valley Conference champion The Dalles High Riverhawks boys soccer team when it started practice Aug. 17 — with a new head coach and a lot of new players.
The Riverhawks enjoyed tremendous success the past five years while guided by former head Coach Jesus Granados and assistant Coach Matt Dallman. They qualified for the OSAA Class 4A state playoffs four consecutive seasons.
Last year was arguably one of the best ever for the Riverhawks, who were unbeaten until their final game of the season. The No. 2-ranked Riverhawks (8-0 TVC, 15-1-1 in 2025) suffered a 2-1 overtime loss to the No. 10-ranked North Marion High Huskies (8-6-3) in a Nov. 8, 2025, state quarterfinal matchup at Hood River Valley High School.
The heartbreaking defeat marked the conclusion of the career of nine Riverhawk seniors. It also marked the conclusion of the The Dalles High coaching careers of Dallman and Grenados.
The Riverhawks will be guided by new Coach Shudi Datta and assistant coaches Emmanuel Elias, Edgar Vega and Saul Ascencio. The Riverhawks have a solid team that returns from last year’s state playoff squad, led offensively by David Gutierrez and Angel Ciriano.
“I’m excited to be the new boys coach. I think everything is kind of about timing. I feel like it’s the right time because I feel great and I’m ready to take on the role for The Dalles High School,” Datta said.
Datta, who moved to The Dalles in 2019 from Hawaii, coached The Dalles Riverhawks’ junior varsity girls soccer team from 2021 to 2023.
“I took two years off so that I could focus on going to school and get my administrative license, which was a lot of work for sure,” said Datta. “I also wanted to make sure that I was ready for the job from a personal and physical standpoint. To make a long story short, I wasn’t balanced in my life and I just needed to find balance.”
The Riverhawks will open their 15-game schedule Aug. 27 at 6 p.m. at Pendleton High School (6-8-1 in 2025). (Last year, the Riverhawks beat the Buckaroos, 7-0, in a Sept. 4, 2025 home game at the Wahtonka campus soccer field.)
“Of course, I think that the team will continue to have success again this year,” said Datta. “Jesus and Matt were great coaches and I loved seeing what they were doing to help the team … they really knew what they were doing. Obviously, the boys did a great job last season in going to the quarterfinals of the playoffs. We have tons of talent again this year. My goal is to keep continue doing what Jesus and Matt built for the team over the last five years.”
Their schedule is competitive. The Riverhawks play Sept. 1 at Tillamook High School (10-5-1 in 2025), in a game featuring 2025 state quarterfinal teams. (The Dalles won, 5-3, at home over the Cheesemakers on Sept. 9, 2025.)
The Riverhawks play their home opener Sept. 3 at 5 p.m. against the Scappoose High Indians (6-6-3 in 2025) and two days later are at the defending Class 3A/2A/1A state champion Westside Christian Eagles (14-2-2) in Tigard.
The Dalles opens is league season against 2025 state playoff squad Gladstone (5-2-1 TVC, 9-4-2 in 2025). The TVC added a newcomer this year, with North Marion moving over from the Oregon West Conference. The Huskies and the Riverhawks will meet in a rematch of last year’s state quarterfinals on Oct. 7 in The Dalles.
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