Wahluke falls to Overlake in State championship match
Bob Kirkpatrick/The Sun Tribune - Warriors keeper Melchor Celay comes up with a big save in the championship match with Overlake Saturday at Sunset Chev Stadium.
SUMNER — The Warriors were looking to avenge a loss to the Owls in a rematch of last year’s championship game, but it was Overlake coming out on top once again in a 3-0 win Saturday.
“We came out with a game plan, and we were following that game plan until one of our players got a head injury, but the game was allowed to continue with our player down and that’s how the got the first goal,” Warriors coach Arthur de Victoria said. “But we did not play until the whistle, and that was our mistake.”
The score came 12 minutes into the match and seemed to get in the Wahluke players head…that and the poor officiating that favored the Owls.
The goal held up through the break.
The Owls made it 2-0 on a controversial goal that appeared have an Overlake player offside, but no whistle was blown. Three Owls ended up in the box with Warriors keeper Melchor Celay, who went headfirst into the near post. The third score of the match came on a PK and Overlake was crowned State Champion for the second straight year.
“We had a few opportunities, but we could not put them into the back of the net,” de Victoria said. “The game ball went to our entire team, as we felt it was a total team effort, and the team kept our hearts beating as one. Our team motto is ‘One heart, one mind, and one team,’ that is how our team will move forward.”’
Wahluke 0
Royal 0
The Warriors beat the Knights in a shootout Friday afternoon to advance to the match with Overlake.
“We fought a tough game with Royal that ended 0-0 at the end of regulation,” de Victoria said. “We then had to play two five-minute halves. These are golden goal, meaning that if someone scores, the game would end in their favor. Again, there was no goal, and we then had to shoot shots from the mark. Melchor was in goal, and all I asked from him was that he stops one PK. He stopped two and we came away with the win.”
Alex Valdez, Yerik Arellano, Fernando Barajas, and Alejandro Vazquez converted the PK’s for Wahluke. Fernando Garcia got the game ball.
“We had a great season, but we did not win our final game of the season,” de Victoria said. “We will continue fighting and preparing for next year and believe that we can have another successful season.”