Huskies advance to district finals

OTHELLO — On Saturday, the Huskies (12-5-1) forced a 1-0 shutout victory over the Ellensburg Bulldogs (8-10-1). It may have been a low-scoring affair, but the Huskies' defense stepped up to protect home turf and push onto the district finals against the Grandview Greyhounds (10-5-1).  

Huskies head coach Bernie Garza felt the team was a step slow throughout the game, but feels good that his team was able to pull through and secure the win.  

“It's a playoff game, but it's a sleeper game because we had beaten them 3-1 a week and a half ago or so, and so we didn't want the guys to be overconfident and say, ‘We're going to go in there do the same thing,’” Garza said.  

The one score of the day came around the twentieth minute, with star player Jose Cabrera making the play off an assist from Larry Maldonado. After receiving the pass, Cabrera took a few dribbles around defenders before ripping the 20-yard shot and scoring. 

“That's a quality of a good striker. You get the ball, receive a turn, face the goal and create a little bit of space and hit the shot,” Garza said.  

Despite the highlight play, the rest of the match remained a defensive battle. Shutting down key players on the defensive side was a success of the Huskies and was key in not allowing the Bulldogs to climb back into the match.  

Goalkeeper Jaime Rodriguez was tested throughout the match, having to make back-to-back saves. This was a critical moment in the game, according to Garza.  

As the Huskies prepare for Grandview, Garza is putting an emphasis on the mental aspect of the game. Making it this far is not foreign to Garza and the Huskies; in the last three years, they have reached the district finals,and this year will be the fourth. Last year, they finished second.  

Coming away with a victory will aid the Huskies in securing a good seeding in the state tournament. Finishing runner-up creates a longer path to success at states.  

“It's not a matter of you're better than your team said, but who makes more mistakes?” Garza said.  

The Huskies will take on the Greyhounds at Grandview in the district finals.  

    Luis Farias Villanueva and Larry Maldonado pair up to keep control of the ball. Head coach Bernie Garza said Villanueva was on top of his game locking down his opponents.
  

    Larry Maldonado remains persistent in pursuit of the ball. He helped Jose Cabrera find the net in the first half.
  

    The Huskies take an aggressive approach on defense. Head coach Bernie Garza touted the defense's ability to swarm the ball and regain possession.
  

    The Huskies attempted to attack the Ellensburg net. Garza emphasized a next man up mentality whenever Cabrera can’t get to the ball.