Soccer:

Under the stadium lights, the Wenatchee High School boys soccer players were out for blood. In a rematch against Central Valley after their 4-0 loss from the first game of the regular season, the Panthers were sure they’d clinched the State semifinal playoff win on May 29 after the 16th minute, when freshman Luis Navarette headed a ball into the net.

“We had what we thought was the goal, but unfortunately the referees said it was offsides. At the end of 31st minute, a ball deflected off our defender’s shoulder and it scored into our own goal. So it was 0-1 by the end of the first half, and then we battled until the end of regulation and lost, even though we outshot them by far,” WHS Coach Dennis Tronson said.

A fluke ball off WHS’ own defender’s shoulder cost the team the game, bringing Central Valley the 1-0 win against the Panther and costing them the chance to win the State championship title they had so longed for and the revenge they were out for.

“A lot of us were shocked. We started to tear up and cry. We wanted to win so bad, but the game beat us. Central Valley didn’t beat us, but the game did,” junior Salvador Chavez said.

The team finished fourth in State, the best finish of any WHS soccer team in the school’s history, after two losses against Central Valley and Inglemoor in Puyallup May 29 and May 30.

In the consolation game against Inglemoor for third and fourth place, the team went into shootouts, after senior Giovanny Soto and freshman Daniel Reyes both scored to tie up the game.

“I thought personally we would beat them just because we came out to start the game pretty strong and they got a lucky goal towards the end of the game. Once it came to penalty kicks, I was confident we’d beat them. But their goalie had a great game in penalty kicks, one of the best I’ve ever seen. We had plenty of opportunities to win, but I think the pressure got to us right then,” senior captain Chris Trussel said.

Despite two losses, the team still came home with a State trophy in tow.

“It was a great opportunity, something we’ve never done before,” Trussel said. “I’ll remember making it to final four for the rest of my life.”

-Kiana Wilson, Opinion Editor

Track:

The boys track and field team stole second at State, snatching a State title as well. The three girl individuals all placed in the top 20 of their events. Twelve Panthers competed at State, including seniors Cole Christman, Killion McGinnis,  Reid Lovercamp, Austin Lane, and Alissa Sealby, juniors Christian Brandt-Sims, Joe Sells, Julien Gibassier, Rilea Dills, and Dalton Sugg, sophomore Katie Dodge, and freshman Jordan Hartley.

On the girls team, Dodge placed the highest with third place in the vault. Dills placed 11th in the javelin. Sealby placed 13th in the triple jump and 16th in the long jump. Harley placed 15th in the 1600 meters. For the boys team, Christman won the State title in the 800 and placed second in the 1600. Brandt-Sims placed third in the 300 hurdles and fifth in the 110 hurdles. Lovercamp placed fourth in the 400.

“I have honestly never been so happy in my entire life,” Christman said. “I just wanted to scream but I didn’t have enough energy.”

The boys relay team, Lovercamp, Christman, Lane, and Brandt-Sims, placed second in the 4×400 with a time of 3:21.14, practically tying with Eastmonts 3:21.135.

“All season we’ve been back and forth with [Eastmont],” Brandt-Sims said. “We were the number one and two teams in the State so I knew it would be a tight race, but I believed that we had it in us to win. Unfortunately, [Eastmont’s] Phillip [Moore’s] finishing line dive was barely enough for them to be declared the winners. Even so I was confident we had won until I saw the results myself.”

-Felicia Hannas, News Editor

Tennis:

Fighting their way to the end of their season, Wenatchee High School boys and girls tennis players competed in the state competition May 29-30 at Richland’s home courts. The girls team did not place; however, the boys did tie for tenth place with Jackson High School.

Even though victory was not written in the stars for the Panthers at State, all boys players lost 2-1 in their matches; while the single girl’s participant at state lost 0-2, rounding out what has been an otherwise stellar competitive season.

Boys tennis player freshman Jack Yount competed in singles, and after winning his first match, he was defeated in the next two. The other singles competitor, junior Cameron Mandelis, as well as doubles partners sophomores Tobi Butler and Isaiah Banken, lost their first and final matches, but won their middle match.

The girls tennis team was represented by singles player sophomore Hannah Stonas, who was double eliminated after facing tough competition in Joyce Park of Gig Harbor (6-0, 6-0) and Avery Liening of Todd Harbor High School (6-0, 6-0).

Preceding state, the teams took part in the Big 9 District championship May 15-17 on Eastmont High School’s home courts, taking home District titles, and rounding out their twin undefeated 13-0 seasons within the district. Both WHS teams claimed their respective league and district titles. Stonas placed second at Districts in her singles competition. Yount placed first at Districts in singles, followed by Mandelis in second. Butler and Banken took first place in doubles.

-Adrian Robinson, A&E Editor

Golf:

The girls team finished ninth place at their State tourney on May 26 at the Indian Canyon Golf Course. Individually senior Carly Bozett placed 23, junior Ali Brandt placed 37. The rest of the girls didn’t make the cut.

“Carly played really well, she placed 7 over par which was just a really good score. Competition was amazing and it was the best we’ve seen in years at State golf,” Coach Doug Merrill said.

The girls shot an all-time low team score of 332 at their District 6 Championships at the Moses Lake Country Club on May 11.

Brandt was the District medalist shooting an 80, both Bozett and junior Kadi Freund shot an 81 to place second, and junior Courtney Merrill and freshman Taylor Takasugi tied for seventh place with a  90.

All five girls went to state. Bozett was the league MVP and Brandt, Takasugi, and Freund were all league first team. Both Courtney and sophomore Delaney Merrill were honorable mention.

The boys did not make it to day two of the State tourney on May 27, ending their season.

“We played very well, but the field played very well too,” Coach Scott Paine said.  The cut to go onto day two was 75, but senior Brady Kuntz got 76 and sophomore Nick Beeson got 77. There were 11 players who shot a 70 or better.

The boys golf team tied for the District 6 Championship at the Moses Lake Country Club on May 18 with a team score of 645. The two-round totals resulted in Kuntz placing second with a 152, and both senior Brandon Steele and Beeson tied for ninth with a 161. Beeson won on a playoff hole against Steele, which left Steele as the first alternate, and Kuntz and Beeson as State qualifiers.

The top individuals at the morning round at Moses Pointe Golf Course were Kuntz with a 77, Steele with a 78, Beeson with an 84, senior Jake Riggan with a 96, junior Brandon Thompson with an 89, and senior Andy Johnson with a 99. At their afternoon round at Moses Lake Country Club, the top individuals were Kuntz with a 75, Thompson with an 82, both Steele and Riggan with an 83, and Johnson with a 94.

-Hannah Lewis, Staff Reporter