Still flying high from their 2-1 Great Basin Conference West victory at Burley last Tuesday, the Wood River High School boys' varsity soccer team swept the season series with the 5A Highland Rams 3-1 Saturday.
Wood River (5-5-0, 1-2-0 league), which didn't win a road game last season, improved to 4-4-0 away from home in 2008 with the non-league win at Pocatello. It was the third victory in the last four starts for coach Matt Phillips' lads.
Sophomore Bryan Donoso and juniors Morgan Pike and Felipe Raygoza scored for Wood River, which out-shot Highland 14-6 and had a 5-1 edge in corner kicks. Junior keeper Colter Brehmer (5 saves) blanked the Rams until there were only 12 minutes remaining.
Unfortunately, two Wood River players suffered injuries. Sophomore Chris de la Cruz (hyper-extended knee) and senior Kyler VanDyck (ankle sprain) went off the field.
Otherwise it was a positive game for Wood River, which started with a bang. Phillips said, "We began passing and playing what can now be called the Wood River boys' style of play—a controlled passing, pretty game."
A pretty passing play between Austin Cruz and de la Cruz ended with a Cruz pass to Donoso, who slotted it home from the eight-yard-line six minutes into the game. Pike drilled a 20-yarder into the upper left corner after a midfield pass from Cruz at 22 minutes.
Building on its 2-0 halftime lead, Wood River added insurance early in the second half when Raygoza tallied his first goal after a pass by Pike.
Tuesday, Wood River entertained Minico's Spartans (8-3-1, 1-2-0) in a big Great Basin West clash at South Valley Sports Complex in Hailey. Minico just managed to beat Highland 1-0 last Thursday in Pocatello.
Then Wood River hosts Twin Falls (2-8-1) Thursday, Sept. 25 in the Homecoming game at 4 p.m. in Hailey on the South Valley Sports Complex pitch (main soccer field). Host Twin Falls nipped The Community School 4-3 Friday night.
Top-ranked Jerome (9-0-1, 3-0-0) visited Burley (6-4-1, 1-2-0) Tuesday and goes to Minico Thursday. Jerome avenged the only blemish on its season record, a 2-2 tie at Pocatello, with a 5-1 home win over Pocatello this past Saturday.
A force in the midfield all season, Wood River’s Chris de la Cruz injured his knee late in Saturday’s 3-1 win at Highland. Photo by David N. Seelig
