Boys suffer first conference loss to McCall-Donnelly

Regular season play came to an end on Thursday for Weiser High School boys soccer. Heading into the SRV District Tournament, the boys’ team has a conference record of 10-1-1. They won on Tuesday against Payette, and took their first conference loss playing against McCall-Donnelly on Thursday.
 The weather for Thursday’s senior night was much improved from Tuesday’s weather. Under a sunny sky, the Wolverine’s 10 senior players and 3 stat girls were recognized before the start of the game against McCall-Donnelly.
 The game was a fierce battle between the Wolverines and Vandals; that the Vandals unfortunately won. No team commanded control of the ball for long though. While Weiser started the game with possession of the ball, McCall-Donnelly was the first to take a shot at the goal and show how hungry they were for a win.
 The first 20 minutes of the game involved lots of back and forth play, with neither side taking control for long periods of time. Right around 20 minutes, Weiser had a foul called on them and Vandal Bernard Kindall was able to get the resulting kick past Weiser’s defenses and in.
 At 28 minutes in, Vandal Dallen Wallace received a yellow card for delay of game when he deliberately kicked the ball after the referees blew the whistle and called hands on McCall-Donnelly.
 Weiser’s Marcos Tarelo received a yellow card next, when he was called for being too close on a foul kick.
 At half the score was 0-1, McCall-Donnelly, and it stayed like that for the rest of the game. McCall-Donnelly had a multitude of fouls called on them, but Weiser just wasn’t able to make those opportunities count.
 After receiving several of McCall’s fouls, Kindall was yellow carded for pushing 23 minutes into the half. He was subbed back in just a minute later, and received more fouls, but no other yellows were given.
 The Wolverines tried to tie the score up, but shots were either sent over the net, or deflected by the Vandal keeper.
 The game ended with Weiser’s first conference loss, with a score of 0-1.
 Coach Kathy Bokides felt there were several factors that led to the loss. One factor was that Weiser would mark up on opposing players, but not follow them. “(Number) 7 got loose and got the shot, it was a one touch and into the goal,” she said of the Vandal’s goal.
 Another issue Bokides saw was communication and teamwork. She said that for Weiser, senior night tends to be a distraction, especially after the team had what she felt like was a good warm-up.
 “The kids played well. But there was a lack of team play. They’re still not used to playing against this stacked defense,” she said. She also felt that the boys began rushing, trying to come back from behind and were taking too many long outside shots.
 Looking forward to districts, she has a game plan on what to work on.
 “We have enough people that can score, but maybe just need more confidence again,” she said. “There are no easy games left. Everyone has improved, everyone has gotten better. We have too, but we have some adjustments to make,” she said of the upcoming week’s games.
 Payette’s game Tuesday was at their football field, and started later than usual, at 6 p.m. because of their senior night. Aside from a game at state a couple years ago, during which there was snow, this was one of the coldest and windiest games Bokides can remember in recent years.
 The Wolverines once again dominated over the Pirates, walking away with a 6-0 win.
 The action was slow to begin with, as both teams had to learn how to deal with the wind that was blowing through. The wind would carry the ball in a different direction when kicked high, and affected throw-ins from the sides.
 During the first half of the game, Weiser took multiple shots at Payette’s goal, but the ball often went over the net, helped in part by the wind. It wasn’t until there was just under 4 minutes left on the clock that a score went on the board. Weiser’s Cris Cornejo took a corner kick that Ander Barbot got control of, then passed to Chris Gonzales, who then scored.
 Weiser used the adrenaline from that play, and 2 minutes later, Alfonso Hernandez passed the ball to Jordan Watkins, who got the ball past the Pirate’s keeper.
 Going into the second half, the score was 2-0, Weiser. Three minutes into play, Payette’s number 12 received a yellow card for sliding in from behind and hitting Watkins. Tarelo took the shot, but Payette’s keeper was able to stop it.
 Fifteen minutes in, Tarelo took another indirect kick from a foul and Barbot gained control of the ball and scored.
 Cornejo racked up another assist, when he made a corner kick that allowed Manny Perez to get his foot on the ball and send it in to the Pirate’s net.
 At 22 minutes, the Wolverines had another play that led to their next goal. Cornejo took yet another corner kick, and sent the ball into play at Payette’s net. There was a foul in the box on Payette, and Tristan Padilla took the penalty kick. The Pirate’s goalie deflected the ball back onto the field, but Barbot had followed the ball in and was able to make a shot that made it to the back of the net. This brought the score up to 5-0.
 The sixth and last goal of the night was by Hernandez, with Gonzalez getting the assist, with 8 minutes left on the clock.
 “The wind had a huge factor the first half,” Bokides said. “That’s why I always take the wind the first half. It was still cold the second half, but the wind did die down.”
 She said she told the boys to keep the ball low, not to kick it high because of the wind.
 She was happy with the way Weiser played, but was also impressed with how the Pirates played.
 “They (Payette) played really well. That team has improved a ton, and were pumped up for their senior night,” Bokides stated. “They have a good coach, they listen to him, and he makes them play clean. It’s nice to see them improving like that.”