HS Soccer: Black Hills stuns Centralia with Shoot-Out Victory

3/26/2025

Black Hills 3, Centralia 2 (5-3 Shoot-out)

(Centralia, WA) On opening night of the EVCO 2A league schedule the Centralia Tigers had captured the attention of many jumping out to a 3-1 record with big wins against Clover Park, Mark Morris and a tight 1-0 loss to Lindbergh. The Black Hills Wolves came in with a 2-2-2 overall record already matching their number of wins from last season going 2-14. The Wolves were ready to send a message they are going to be a force in 2025.

The Wolves did just that taking a quick 1-0 lead in the 4th minute when Ethan Badger got on the end of a long lead in pass and headed into the upper left of the goal over the out-stretched arms of Tiger keeper Alejandro Arevalo. The quick strike stunned the Tigers early.

Centralia quickly re-grouped and their offense began to dominate setting up a chance to tie the match in the 13th minute. The Tigers were attacking and received a free kick from about the 23-yard line. Alan Vasquez lined up the kick and launched a long kick that was bending into the goal on the far side of the goal. Wolves keeper Jonas Versaw had it and went up to block the shot and it spun off his hands over the top and landed in the goal to tie the match 1-1. That’s how it would end going into the break.

In the 2nd half Centralia dominated time of possession with maybe 5 minutes of the 40 being played on the Wolves side of the 50. The Tigers had multiple shots on goal and great opportunities to take the lead and add to a lead but the backline of Black Hills of Porter Neklason, Josiah Knight and Zachary Welch to name a few were strong in denying the Tigers but it was Versaw who shined.

The Senior keeper recorded 11 saves with multiple big save specifically in the 21st and 60th minutes. Versaw and the defense were holding their lines and hoping the offense could find one crack and they did late in the game in stoppage time. After a break-away for Ethan Badger when he was fouled from behind by Andres Mejia-Ceja earning him a red card and setting up a free kick for the Wolves from the about the 17-yard line to the left side. The kick was lofted and again Badger got on it with a header into the net for what everyone thought would be the game winner.

Centralia quickly got on the attack and as time was running out had their best shot at the equalizer when a lofted pass was headed but drifted just over the top of the goal. With little time left an errant ball rolled over the backline off a Wolves defender setting up a corner kick. Pato Cruz lined up the kick and dropped it perfectly right in front of the goal where Cristian Luis got a head on it and popped it into the upper left for the tying goal with no time left as the whistle blew to end regulation.

The two teams headed to Golden Goal overtime and after the two 5-minute periods it was still tied 2-2 and sent to a shoot-out. The Wolves went first and Roberto Aquiniga scored. Centralia’s 1st shooter Damien Corona kept pace to make 1-1. Both Cailen Greiff for the Wolves and the Tigers Miles Page scored in the 2nd round. Black Hills’ Zach Cammack made it 3 in a row for the Wolves. Centralia’s Alan Vasquez then fooled Wolves keeper Versaw and got him to go to Versaw’s left while he pulled it to a wide open opposite side but pulled it a couple of inches to far and hit the post boucning out leaving the Wolves with a 3-2 lead after 3 rounds.

Carson Huffer then stepped up to put big time pressure on the Tigers successfully scoring pushing it to a 4-2 lead. Centralia then faced a must score or it was over when Elian Ramirez fired the shot which was blocked by Versaw stretched out on the ground. The Wolves began to celebrate only to see the ball take a crazy backspin and roll across the goal to give Centralia hope.

In the 5th round all Black Hills needed was a goal to clinch the win and Ethan Badger, who had scored both goals was up and did not disappoint picking up a kind of hat trick burying the winning shot and the Wolves left the stunned Tigers with the win.

The Thorbeckes MVP of the game came down to Ethan Badger and Jonas Versaw. Badger did the needed scoring but the argument was that scoring would not have been enough without the effort by Versaw so we went with Versaw as our MVP in a tight call.

This was a huge win for the Wolves and Head Coach Jackie Zvirzdys Wood. It gives the Wolves more wins this year than all of last season already. The Wolves are now 3-2-2 and 1-0 in EVCO 2a play while the Tigers slip to 3-2 and 0-1.

In the other 2 matches WF West defeated Aberdeen 1-0 and Tumwater topped Shelton 5-2. The Tigers will host Tumwater on Friday night while Black Hills will host Aberdeen.

EVCO 2A Standings