When The Dalles High School boys and girls soccer teams last played games, it was in the 2019 state playoffs and served as an indicator of the successful strides they’ve made up the Intermountain Conference ranks. The Riverhawk teams are eager to take another step.
For the boys, it was Nov. 6, 2019 in the first round of the playoffs. Undefeated La Salle (17-0-1) won 5-0 and eventually won the state championship, while The Dalles concluded the season with a 6-8-1 record.
For the girls, it was Nov. 5, 2019, also in the first round of the state playoffs (an 8-0 loss to Crescent Valley). Shortly after that contest, everything turned upside down with the spread of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic and the shutting down of Oregon and Washington high school sports. Health and safety guidelines recently issued by Gov. Kate Brown and the Oregon Health Authority have deemed it safe for teams to resume athletic events.
TDHS junior Rowan Simpson Jr. runs through a drill.
Of course, nobody could have imagined back then that the Riverhawks wouldn’t play again until 2021. However, things have finally turned around in the ongoing battle with the coronavirus pandemic. The lifestyle for sports-oriented families seems to be returning somewhat back to normal with high school athletics beginning again.
TD boys soccer
The Riverhawks, guided by fifth-year coach Matt Dallman, started daily practices Feb. 22 in preparation for their first game at home Thursday at 4 p.m. against the Class 3A Riverside Pirates. Dallman and his 25-member varsity/JV squad are looking forward to playing a match for the first time in 16 months.
“It’s an interesting year, especially since we haven’t played in nearly a year and a half,” said Dallman, 35, who led The Dalles to a third-place finish in the six-team Intermountain Conference standings with a 6-3-1 record in 2019. “We’re going into the season having only about one and a half weeks of practice, but it’s the same tough situation for everyone, so it’s hard for every team. We’re super happy to be back out onto the field and we feel lucky just to be able to have a season.”
A notable 2019 highlight was that the Riverhawks won a boys soccer game against the Hood River Valley Eagles for the first time ever in The Dalles High School history. Dallman was selected 2019 Intermountain Conference coach of the year.
This season, the Riverhawks will be led by seniors Omar Torres, Juan Mejia, Jaimie Castro, Alejandro Gutierrez and Preet Patel. “I expect that we’ll have a lot of leadership from Castro, who is a very smart and experienced goalkeeper,” said Dallman. “Our center defender, Torres, is an incredibly smart and talented player who has been a starter every year since he was a freshman. We expect him to provide lots of leadership for our team, while setting an example for the younger players. Gutierrez is our forward and who is big (6-foot-1), strong and capable of scoring a majority of our goals.”
Juniors who will also help provide the Riverhawks with a solid 14-member varsity squad include Rowan Simpson, Harry Proctor, Jordan Buettner, Alex Wood and Tristan Bass. Wood was a second-team, all-league selection in 2019. The team also includes sophomores Grey Roetcisoender, Miguel Leon and Fabian Canchola (second-team, all-league) and freshmen Carter Randall and Oswaldo Heredia Vargas.
The OSAA Season 2 schedule of traditional fall sports - football, soccer, cross country and volleyball - concludes April 11. A nine-game Riverhawk schedule includes the final regular season game April 1 at home against Hood River.
“Managing the whole pandemic situation to make sure that kids are safe is a big part of my job this year,” said Dallman. “That’s in addition to the usual things like making sure kids get to the game and having them eligible to play, as well. There’s so many things that happen behind the scene in coaching, but this year, there’s even more than normal. I love coaching and teaching kids soccer and I just can’t imagine how bad the kids felt about not being able to play. I felt heartbroken for the kids when they were unable to play last year, because it was really an awful experience for them.”
Because of the shorter-than-normal season, the OSAA decided it will not conduct state championships. Each school will organize a schedule of events for the culminating week April 5-11 to determine an appropriate way to conclude the season. Dallman said the Intermountain Conference will probably conduct league playoffs to conclude the season; athletic directors at the six schools are in the process of formulating a schedule.
TD girls soccer
A strong senior core leads the Riverhawk girls soccer team’s return to competition for the first time in 16 months, when they meet the Riverside Pirates Thursday at 4 p.m. in Boardman.
For Riverhawks Coach Colby Tonn and the 25-member varsity/JV players and their fans, they can now breathe a sigh of relief as the return of high school sports has finally become a much welcome reality.
“The participation of the girls has been great; they’ve been wanting to get out on the field and they’re ready to play soccer,” said Tonn, 41, who returned to the squad for a seventh season in 2019, after a three-year hiatus. The Dalles was 6-7-1 in 2019, 6-4 in the Intermountain Conference.
“It’s been such a long time since these girls have played, but they’ve all been doing some conditioning drills in January and February in preparation for the season,” said Tonn. “It would’ve been nice if we could’ve had a little more practice time. It is nice that we can play again, even though it’s a short season.”
The Riverhawk varsity squad will be led by a group of seniors that includes Kierstin White, Hanani Andrade, Courtney Hert, Illiana Moreno-Lopez, Cadence Snyder and Zara Voodre’. Hert was a first-team, all-league selection in 2019.
“They’re all very excited about the season and they’re ready to go,” said Tonn. “Zara is our striker and she’s a good team leader who leads by example and she always works hard in practice. Courtney is our center midfielder who is also expected to help lead our team. Kierstin is our goalkeeper; she’s a good athlete and she has worked very hard while constantly showing improvement. I really can’t say enough about the good attitude that all the girls have.”
Official practice started Feb. 22 though some players participated in informal practice sessions in mid-January and February. The OSAA Season 2 schedule, which began March 1, consists of traditional fall sports football, soccer, cross country and volleyball and concludes April 11. The Riverhawks have an eight-game schedule that concludes with a match against their Intermountain Conference rival, Hood River Valley, April 1 in Hood River.
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