Wolverines notch one SRV loss, one SRV win

 Weiser’s Wolverine varsity boys soccer team are making gains on conference opponents, ending Homecoming week with a very narrow 2-1 loss to Payette on Tuesday, Sept. 10, and winning 3-2 over Fruitland on Wednesday, Sept. 11.

 Both opponents have been flexing their soccer muscles early in the season, with Payette currently sitting fifth in conference with a 2-2-1 conference record, just one place behind Weiser’s 3-2 record. Fruitland’s Grizzlies are in second with 3-1-1, and the Wolverines handing them their first conference loss.

 In Payette on Tuesday, the Wolverines held a 1-0 lead at the end of the first half. Senior forward Carlos Garcia (7) received a pass from Santi Perez (9) outside the box on the left, getting the shot past sophomore Pirate keeper Grady Coen. 

 The Pirates put two goals on the board in the second half, to pull ahead 2-1. Weiser came close to tying the game with a direct penalty kick later in the half, but Coen made the save and the game ended with Weiser taking the loss. 

Weiser 3, Fruitland 2

 At home on Wednesday, Weiser’s Julio Hernandez (11) scored off of a pass from Garcia (7) who had cut over with a dribble from the right side and crossed the ball up to Hernandez, who was coming up the middle. The Grizzlies followed up with a score, ending the half in a 1-1 tie.

 Fruitland took a 2-1 lead, scoring a goal off of a corner kick about 15 minutes into the second half. Garcia scored a pass from Dauge McClellan, sending it in to the right of the keeper, tying up the game 2-2.

 A handball call in the box gave Weiser a direct penalty kick, with Perez (9) making good on it and putting Weiser into a 3-2 lead. Fruitland had a similar chance at the other end of the field, but Weiser goalie David Hernandez got his foot on the incoming ball, sending it sailing up and out.

 “We’ve definitely improved since the first game,” senior defender Brandon Juarez told the Signal American. “Our passes have been getting better, and we’ve been sending a lot of through balls. I just want to give a shout out to Mickel (Valdez 22) and Jackson (Laird 4) for always having my back, and always having my cover, and I also want to thank Coach Rose and Coach Kathy.”

 “Last night I think we could have won,” Valdez said. “We got one goal and then we let down, and we got too confident.”

 “We always go 100 percent, even if we’re tired,” senior Jai Cervantes added. “We keep going and keep pushing.”

 Garcia (7) added he is proud of his teammates.

 “For keeping their heads up and not down,” he said. “We made up for that last game (Payette) for sure. We didn’t support each other the whole way. For this game, the team showed up, and that’s what we need to do every single game. Even, if we’re losing, we can come back, just like we did today.”

 “Wow, what a game,” Bokides said. “The team played pretty well. We had our ups and our downs. Fruitland has a good team. I thought we did really well shutting them down, and holding them down. We still have room for improvement. David did an incredible job on that PK save.

 “We’ve got a lot of tough games to go yet,” she added. “We play Columbia again on Monday, which will help us improve, too.”