The defending OSAA Class 4A Cowapa League champion Tillamook High Cheesemakers had a great start to their 10-game boys soccer league schedule with a 6-2 win over the St. Helens High Lions Sept. 25 at St. Helens High School.
The Mooks (1-0 league, 2-2 overall) took control of the contest early on a rainy and cold evening, building a 3-0 first half lead. Senior forward Diego Lara scored two goals and junior midfielder Gio Viramontes had one goal. Lara’s initial goal off an assist by senior midfielder Cole Afolter, put the Mooks up 1-0.
The winless Lions (0-1 league, 0-4 overall) scored a goal off of a corner kick near the end of the first half to trim the margin to 3-1 at halftime.
The Mooks, guided by head Coach Brian Reynolds and assistant Coach Ulises Chacon, sustained their momentum throughout the second half as well. Tillamook junior midfielder Juan Deniz scored on a header after he received a perfectly placed corner kick by junior midfielder Bruno Gonzalez (assist), making it 4-1 early in the second half.
“We got together and talked to the team at halftime about what we need to improve on,” said Chacon. “Juan’s shot was a pretty awesome goal as he took the cross from Bruno and then he blasted a header shot into the net. We had a real solid overall performance. We just had a couple of unlucky mistakes that led to their (Lions) goals. We would’ve like to have played a little better, but we were happy with the result.”
Deniz scored his second goal to put the Mooks up 5-1. The Lions scored on a penalty kick, making it 5-2. Affolter later scored a goal to put the Mooks in front 6-2. The Mooks played rock solid defense as they held the Lions to a total of just four shots on goal. Junior goalkeeper Johnny Flores (two saves) helped lead Tillamook’s defense with strong defensive play in front of the net. The Mooks had numerous offensive scoring opportunities with over 20 shots on goal.
“It was a strong way to start our league schedule,” said Chacon. “We should be near the top of the standings at this point of the season. Hopefully we can keep winning throughout the rest of the season and stay on top and achieve our goal of getting another league title.”
The Mooks’ road win at St. Helens marked their sixth straight victory over the Lions over the last three years (2022-2024).
“It was a little bit of a one-sided contest, and we would’ve liked to have put more of our scoring opportunities into the net, but we’ll figure that out as the season progresses,” said Chacon.
The win over the Lions also snapped a rarely seen two game Tillamook losing streak, which included a 6-2 home loss Sept. 17 to The Dalles. The last time Tillamook lost back-to-back games was in 2021. Tillamook lost 2-0 to Valley Catholic on Sept. 30, 2021, followed by a 1-0 loss to Seaside on Oct. 5, 2021.
The No. 19-ranked Mooks will be seeking to extend their win streak in their next Cowapa League contest at 6:45 p.m. Tuesday versus the No. 14-ranked Astoria High Fishermen (1-0 league, 3-1-1 overall) at Astoria High School. The Mooks follow with a 7 p.m. Cowapa League home game Thursday versus the Scappoose High Indians (0-1 league, 0-3-2 overall).
“It’s going to be a tough game at Astoria, because they look like they’re going to be the team to beat and they’ll be our strongest competition in the league this year, so we’ll see how that game goes,” said Chacon. “Our goal is to get back to the state playoffs again in November. We didn’t go as far as we had hoped for last season, so we’re hoping to make up for that this year.”
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