Warden rallies to rout Mabton

WARDEN - Mabton put a scare into Warden, scoring within the first couple minutes of the match, but the Cougars rallied to take Saturday's match 5-2.

"That's the story of our season right there is that inconsistency," head coach Don Edson said. "We have those five minute mental letdowns and they just are killing us at times."

Mabton (0-2, 2-7) got on the board first with a high looping shot that lofted over the hands of Warden's goalkeeper.

However, Warden (2-0, 6-3-1) wasted no time tying the match when Jennifer Mendoza got free on a through ball and beat the Mabton keeper.

It was the first of two goals for Mendoza.

"She's having a really good year," Edson said. "She's always going to be that threat. Even against really good teams they make one mistake - because of how strong she is and how fast she is - they make a mistake like that and she'll make them pay."

Alexis Gonzalez put Warden ahead 2-1 early in the first half and the Cougars entered intermission with the lead.

Gonzalez score her second goal off a Brenna Whitney corner kick to increase Warden's lead to 3-1. Mabton came cut the deficit to one goal before Whitney and Mendoza each scored to put the match out of reach.

With the win, Warden technically speaking finished league play undefeated as Mabton is the only other school in the Central Washington 2B South division with a girls soccer program.

With postseason seeding locked down, Edson is ready to focus on rematches with Connell and Kiona-Benton.

"We need to look forward to postseason," he said. "We have some good remaining games and that's what we need to do, we need to continue to get better. We have big games coming up and long as we continue to work forward and get better. The league part of it, it is what it is."

Warden hosts Royal Tuesday at 4 p.m.

Other Basin scores

Ephrata 4, East Valley (Yakima) 0

Othello 1, Grandview 0

Toppenish 7, Quincy 1