5/3/18

Centralia 2, WF West 0

(Centralia, WA) The Centralia Tigers survived the 1st of 2 and back-to-back loser out games with a 2-0 win over the team who had just upset them on Monday. The WF West Bearcats forced the Wednesday night game with a 1-0 win at Tiger Stadium scoring a goal late in the match to stun Centralia.

The Tigers came out firing on Wednesday but once again the Bearcat defense was stone cold with keeper Daniel Ford again spectacular and back line of Kynan Goldsby, Alex Brummer and Joe Wahl were also superb in denying the Tigers. The Bearcats offense was also playing with more urgency and came at the Tiger defense hard. Tiger keeper Jesse Vazquez knocked down some tough shots and his backline were as equally up to the task that included Juan Gonzalez, Carlos Olvera, Jose Herrera and Manny Aguilar and after 40 minutes of physical, tough back and forth play it was scoreless at the break.

The Tigers got a break early in the 2nd half when the referee called a penalty on a Bearcat in the box resulting in a penalty kick. As what happened in the 1st match keeper Vazquez came up to make the kick and looking for redemption as he missed the shot and pulled it to the left on Monday. This time he nailed it in the 43rd minute for a 1-0 lead. The 2 sides would battle again much like the 1st half with no one able to penetrate the other side until the final minute of the match. Jose Pena broke free for the Tigers and as Ford came out to challenge the shot Pena was able to flip the ball in to ice the game 2-0.

WF West had their season come to an end while the Tigers will now have to play Washougal Thursday night in a winner to Districts loser out game. Even though the Panthers come in with a less than impressive record of 3-9 in GSHL 2A play the Tigers will be playing their 3rd game in 4 days so the question will be does fatigue come into play for the Tigers and level or even tilt the playing field. We will have the game live on the ESN/NFHS TV Channel.

Our Pacific Sports Spa Players of the Game went to Jesse Vazquez for the Tigers and WF Wests’ Edward Guzman. The Thorbeckes Sportsmanship Award went to Centralia’s Jose Pena.

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