Washington Boys Soccer

Warriors ousted by controversial call

DES MOINES - The Washington boys soccer team ended its season on a controversial goal by Iowa City West in a 2-1 loss in the first round of the state tournament at
the Cownie Soccer Complex.

With the score tied 1-1 in the 59th minute, the Trojans' Nick Kuntz let go a long shot from way outside the box and it bounced off of teammate Justin Baker’s head and into the Washington goal. The sideline judge put up his flag signaling offsides but after a conference with the head official, they decided that Baker didn’t touch the ball and the goal was counted.

“None of the officials saw it hit his head,” Washington Coach J.P. Graham said. “We had a good view of it, because we could see it deflect. It was going right at our keeper then all the sudden it took a left turn and went into the side netting. Physics could tell you that ball hit somebody's head.”

Baker admitted that the ball went off of his head, although he didn’t think that he was offsides in the first place.

“That’s the game of soccer," Graham said. “Sometimes a call doesn’t go your way and down here one call like that can be the difference in the game.”

The Warriors got off to an early lead when senior Brandon Besong hit a shot from about 35 yards out that skipped into the net past the outstretched Trojan keeper.

Washington held that lead until the second half when Mueng Sunday found Baker in a good position and played a through ball to him and Baker converted to tie the game 1-1.

“We got caught watching a couple times and that led to that first goal,” Graham said. “Three or four guys kind of stabbed at Sunday and he was able to slot the ball through and the kid hit a good shot.”

After the Trojans took the lead, Washington had 20 minutes to answer. The Warriors were able to create a couple of good chances, but couldn’t punch one in and the Trojans advanced to the second round.

“We still had some opportunities and we worked hard in the second half to try to get it back,” Graham said. “The kids followed the game plan, but that’s the way it goes.”

Iowa City West 2, Washington 1
Goals -- ICW: Justin Baker (49th min), Nick Kuntz (59th min). CRW: Brandon Besong (3rd min). Assists -- West: Mueng Sunday

Late game flair sends Warriors to state soccer

The fifth-ranked Washington boys soccer team has had quite the flair for the dramatic in the substate tournament.

The Warriors took a scoreless tie into the final 10 minutes of regulation again in the Class 3A substate final, and again the Warriors used some late offense to get the win. Washington (16-3) advanced to the state tournament with a 2-0 victory over No. 13 Waterloo West (11-9) Saturday at Kingston Stadium.

“I think the kids wanted me to turn gray quick,” Washington Coach J.P. Graham joked after the game. “Waiting for the kids to score these last couple games is killing me.”

The Warriors finally gave their coach a reason to relax a little bit in the 73rd minute when the Waterloo West keeper fouled Kimu Kasha in the box and sophomore Austin Bergstrom took the penalty kick.

“We have had Austin take the last three or four and he has been solid every time,” Graham said. “He is left footed and that throws some keepers off, and he has probably got the best touch on the team. He is confident right now and you go with whoever feels good.”

The decision paid off as Bergstrom calmly knocked the ball past the keeper, giving the Warriors the lead.

“I was just trying to stay calm and not get too freaked out about it, but I kept my composure. I had taken a few before, so I just went with what I’ve done,” Bergstorm said.

The Warriors got an insurance goal in the 78th minute when sophomore Jack Sundermann took the ball deep into the penalty box and was able to kick it around a charging keeper for the 2-0 lead.

Washington beat Waterloo West 2-1 during the regular season, so the Warriors knew they were in for a tough game.

“Last time we played them they fought, and they got up on us early,” said senior captain Brandon Besong. “This game, we got lucky a couple times. They just came out and played hard. They took it to us for a part of that game. Everybody came up big on their team too, it was just unlucky they didn’t get the win.”

Washington’s senior class has now qualified for state in three out four years. Although the Warriors are led by their strong senior class, Besong said the underclassmen have played a key role for the Warriors down the stretch.

“Everybody has been stepping up,” Besong said. “Jack Sundermann has done a great job, Austin Bergstrom has done a great job, Kimu Kasha has done a great job. We are just having a lot of younger kids step up and put the ball in the net.”

Fourth-seeded Washington will kick off it’s run for a state title on June 2 at 5 pm at the Cownie Soccer Complex in Des Moines. The Warriors play No. 5 seed Bettendorf (14-3-2). The teams did not meet in the regular season.

Washington 2, Waterloo West 0
Goals -- Washington: Austin Bergstrom (73rd min) and Jack Sundermann (78th min). Assist -- Washington: Kimu Kasha

Washington boys escape Senior in substate soccer

The fifth-ranked Washington boys soccer team was in for a little bit harder fight than they realized on Wednesday in their windy Class 3A substate semifinal game at Kingston Stadium.

Just 12 days after beating Dubuque Senior 7-0 on the same field, the Warriors (15-3) found themselves in a tussle with the Rams (4-15). Washington sneaked in a goal in the closing minutes of the game for a 1-0 victory.

“I think the kid may have come in a little too relaxed,” said Coach J.P. Graham. “Things change when you get up a goal or two on somebody, then the whole atmosphere of the game goes. But when the team feels like they have a chance they continue to play well and play harder.”

The Dubuque Senior team seemed to be making sure that Washington couldn’t open up that lead again, playing a defensive style othat included nine and at times 10 players in the box defending.

Although Washington dominated the play and had nearly all of the dangerous opportunities in the game, Senior was able to keep them out of goal for almost all of regulation.

“Usually when teams try to pack it in a little bit you just try to get the ball out wide and swing it in," Graham said. "But on a windy day like this, when the ball is blowing out of bounds and it’s hard to get it up field, it makes it hard. We didn’t pass very well, either."

The Warriors were finally able to break through the Rams defense and take the lead off of a beautiful corner kick from Daren Mangold that went right in front of the goal and eventually found the head of Charlie Parks, who promptly directed it into the net for the game's only goal.

Washington will face No. 15 Waterloo West at 10 am on Saturday at Kingston Stadium in the substate final. The winner advances to the state tournament, June 2-4 at Des Moines.

Waterloo West is 11-8 after beating Linn-Mar, 3-0, Wednesday night in Waterloo. Washington beat West back on April 23rd by a score of 2-1.

Washington 1, Dubuque Senior 0
Goals -- Washington: Charlie Parks (77th min).  Assists -- Washington: Daren Mangold

Warriors nip Kennedy boys in soccer showdown

The fifth-ranked Washington boys soccer team secured a second place finish in the Mississippi Valley Conference's Mississippi Division on Thursday by beating its rival, No. 7  Kennedy, 1-0 at Kingston Stadium.

The game was fast paced and physical as Washington (14-3, 11-2) and Kennedy (12-5, 9-4) slugged it out in the regular-season finale.

“The game was fast paced all around,” said Washington senior keeper Camron Harrison. “They attacked us hard and we attacked back. Our defense really pulled through and our boys up top did their job. This whole week we have been working on give and goes and it connected. It just seemed like their defense got lost when we put it to them.”

The victory gave the Warriors a little bit of revenge for a 3-1 beating they received last year at the hands of the Cougars.

“It was a big win, because this is a big rivalry game and last year they beat us pretty good,” said Washington Coach J.P. Graham. “We didn’t show up to play and they hammered us. So this was just a chance, especially for our seniors, to come back and get us on the winning track against them.”

The Warriors took the lead early in the second half when Brandon Besong found a streaking David Nega on the right side of the box. Nega dribbled it deep into the box and fired a shot at the opposite post. Kennedy keeper Ben Feltes made a diving stop, but the ball bounced away from him. Washington senior Charlie Parks won the footrace to the ball
and slotted it into the net for the 1-0 lead.

The Warriors had a bit of an edge in possession and chances, but the most dangerous opportunity of the game went to the Cougars with less than 30 seconds left in the first half. Gabe Christianson received a long pass and beat the defender to force a one-on-one situation with the keeper.

“I’ve been playing with Gabe and Garet (Christianson) for years on club (teams) and when it comes down to a one-on-one situation, I try to read it. You can’t judge too early because if you go too early he can punish you. So at the last second I saw him trying to sneak it to the corner, so I dove full out and just got to it luckily,” Harrison said.

But the ball still got behind him and looked like it may just creep into goal until junior defender Daren Mangold caught up to it and denied the goal.

“Whenever I go one-on-one the defense is crashing to the goal just in case,” Harrison said.

The Washington defense was again placed under siege in the last couple minutes of the game as Kennedy was frantically seeking an equalizer.

“That last five minutes was a little sketchy,” Graham said. “They started to throw some guys forward and we got a little nervous in the back.”

Harrison came up big again, turning away multiple dangerous shots as the game came to a close.

“(Harrison) didn’t do a whole lot the whole game, but the four or five times we needed him he came up huge,” Graham said. “That’s what it takes to be a good keeper and a keeper at the next level is those four or five times a game when you need to be big.”

The Warriors' next game will be in the semifinals of the regional tournament. They will face the winner of Dubuque Senior and Dubuque Hempstead at 5 p.m. on May 25 at Kingston Stadium.

“We have got to go with the mindset that every game is like this game – high intensity and just put teams away,” Harrison said.

The Cougars will face the winner of Jefferson and Marshalltown directly after Washington’s regional matchup at 7 p.m. on May 25.

Washington 1, Kennedy 0
Goals – Washington: Charlie Parks (46th min). Assists – Washington: David Nega