Photo: The Sequim Wolves scored their biggest goal of the season, making state!
By Oly Archibald
RIDGEFIELD — The Sequim Wolves Soccer team made their biggest goal of the season last night on the banks of the Columbia river at Ridgefield High School, not far upriver from where Lewis & Clark made their goal of finding the Pafic Ocean in November of 1805. Like Lewis and Clark who had to fight off grizzlies, rattlesnakes and the elements; the Wolves had to fight off Vikings, Trojans and Hornets to reach their goal of making it to the state soccer tournament.
In a night were the Wolves had to be perfect against the Ridgefield Spudders, they were not. Wednesday night, the Spudders ended the Wolves’ dream season 9-0. The Spudders scored off two corner kicks in the first three minutes of the game and made it 3-0 with just 12 minutes gone in the first half. Even if the Wolves had played a perfect game, it wouldn’t have mattered. The Spudders were simply bigger, faster and had better soccer skills than the Wolves. There is no shame in high school and college sports when the better team wins. And the Wolves were not the only district team to struggle in their opening state tournament games. 5th-seed North Kitsap, the big bullies of the Olympic League, were upset by 12-seed Hockinson, 2-0. Four other district teams at state, Port Angeles, Sequim, Sammamish and North Kitsap went 0-4 getting blown out on the scoreboard 31-0. Number-two seed Fife was the only district team to get a win, 2-0 over #15-seed Clarkston.
The most important picture for the Sequim Wolves is they did everything in their power to make their goal of getting to the state tournament. There are 44 other Class 2A schools that envied their position at the state tournament. Beating 3A Bainbridge at home in a classic; scoring late in overtime to avoid a major upset against Olympic; and two absolute thrilling upsets of Enumclaw and Sammamish are memories the Wolves’ players’ players, and their families will never forget.
This was a special team who loved each other on and off the field. They emulated their parents who as a group also loved each other on and off the field! It’s not like that everywhere.
So, after years of youth league soccer, club soccer, thousands of miles of travel to soccer tournaments and getting the work done in the classroom; the Wolves finally scored their biggest of goals, getting to the state soccer tournament! Lewis and Clark would’ve been proud.