Outlaws drop games against tough foes

The boys soccer squad dropped their games against Woodburn and Philomath this past week: a 14-1 loss at home against the Bulldogs, one of the top teams in the state, on Tuesday, October 15, and on Thursday a 6-0 loss at Philomath.

In Tuesday’s action, Coach Jeff Husmann had to shuffle players into new positions because of injuries. The previous week, the Outlaws’ starting goalie was injured so sophomore AJ Scholl stepped up and started in the box.

Husmann said, “Despite his (Scholl) relative inexperience, it was a testament to his character in filling a role the team needed.”

Woodburn has a lot of firepower offensively, and within the first 10 minutes they’d scored two goals. Sisters answered when Connor Linn’s physical play resulted in a goal and narrowed the gap to 2-1. Woodburn’s strength proved to be too much for the Outlaws and at the half the Bulldogs held a 6-1 advantage. Woodburn continued to score at will and beat the Outlaws by 13.

Husmann said, “A silver lining to such a lopsided game is that kids who don’t always see much play time get to step on the field. Despite the score, those younger, developing players get a chance to gain experience.”

On Thursday, the Outlaws continued to face more challenges. They lost their starting striker, Ricky Huffman to an injury he sustained in PE at school that day, which left the team with just 14 players — only four upperclassmen — making the trek to Philomath.

The rain started just as the game got underway, which made for a slippery and muddy game. Sisters got off to a slow start, and Philomath made them pay early as they scored within the first five minutes.

“We came out flat with very little sense of urgency, and they had us pinned down for the first 20 minutes with over a dozen corner kicks,” said Husmann.

Keeper Nathaniel Alvarex made more than 12 saves in the first half for the Outlaws. At the half, Sisters trailed 0-3. The Warriors scored three times in the final half and recorded the win.

Gus Patton (freshman) started at striker, and Husmann told The Nugget that Gus has a very strong skill set and will develop into a very strong player as he gains size, speed, and experience.

“He has been such a positive influence on the team this year,” said Husmann. “He is always one of the first to help haul group gear. He doesn’t complain, and has figured out how to be a contributing member of this team.”

Husmann said that Connor Martin and Simon Rhett played “huge,” and noted that Connor seemingly runs all day and Simon seems to be fueled by the physical play.

The boys will wrap up league on the road against Sweet Home on Thursday, October 24.