In the 64th minute Tuesday while Philomath celebrated sophomore Kya Bolton’s second goal of the game for a 3-0 advantage against visiting Gladstone, dark storm clouds approached and thunder rumbled in the distance.
The high school’s athletic director, Mike Hood, ran onto the pitch to meet with officials. Players left the field and started grabbing gear. Then the AD approached the crowd on the opposite sideline and announced that the game was being delayed because of lightning in the area.
Gallery: PHS girls soccer vs. Gladstone (Sept. 9, 2025)
A collection of photos from the Philomath High School girls soccer team’s 3-0 win over Gladstone on Tuesday.
It was 5:15 p.m. when the delay started. And after all involved waited nearly two hours, the game was finally called off.
“We’ve had some practices that we had to cancel (because of lightning) but never a game — especially three quarters of the way through,” said PHS coach Mat Phelps, who has been leading the PHS girls soccer program since 2016.
Hood said the result counts as a victory because the game made it into the second half.
“They watched some of the volleyball game, which is great, and cheered on their classmates,” Phelps said when asked what the players did to kill time. “But it was just a lot of waiting and talking and sitting in the hallways.”
The OSAA lightning safety guidelines read, “When thunder is heard, or a cloud-to-ground lightning bolt is seen, the leading edge of the thunderstorm is close enough to strike your location with lightning. Suspend play for at least 30 minutes and vacate the outdoor activity to the previously designated safer location immediately. … If any additional thunder or lightning occurs during this 30-minute waiting period, the clock resets and you must wait another full 30 minutes from that point.”
At one point, Hood said there was hope that the game could resume at 6:50 p.m., which was pushed back to 7 p.m., and then 7:15 p.m. But then the final decision came down and Gladstone fired up its bus and headed home.
Philomath remained unbeaten at 3-0 while Gladstone lost for the first time and dropped to 2-1.
Bolton has been in a groove so far this season on offense with seven goals in the team’s three victories.
“She’s really a dangerous player and we’re learning how to play a different style and finding her in space a little bit,” Phelps said. “We’re trying to play to her strengths and our overall team strengths.”
The Warriors appeared to be in control of the game from the opening whistle with opportunities created through aggressive play. Senior Lacey Bacho and Bolton just missed on chances through the first 25 minutes. The prettiest sequence occurred in the 15th minute when senior Logan Cook passed to Bolton, who in turn set up senior Ellie Dye for a shot on goal. Dye just missed, however, as the ball went a little high and hit the crossbar.
“I think we created a lot of chances just from the get-go,” Phelps said. “Winning corner kicks — that’s a strength that we have with challenging balls out of the air. I thought we controlled the field for the most part and just created a lot of opportunities.”
In the 27th minute, sophomore Bethany Cannon scored when she beat Gladstone’s goalkeeper to the ball. Bolton had sent it upfield and placed it perfectly for Cannon.
“She’s got a lot of energy,” Phelps said about Cannon, who found the net for the first time this season. “We just really like that spark that she gives us.”
Just two minutes later, Bolton again got the ball up to Cannon for a play that mirrored the goal. Cannon had another 1-on-1 opportunity but dribbled the ball a little too aggressively and the Gladiators’ goalkeeper was able to secure it before she could get a shot off.
Bolton scored her first goal in the 38th minute with an assist by Bacho on an accurate pass from midfield.
In the second half, senior Ana Candanoza saw a couple of shots sail high on her. And Bolton just missed when she nearly snuck one past the keeper on a shot high right post at an angle from 20 yards out.
The Gladiators started to create more opportunities for themselves during stretches of the second half but Philomath’s defense wouldn’t budge.
In the 64th minute, sophomore Bella Nunez got the ball to Bolton in stride at the top of the 18-yard box and she scored to the right post.
Philomath now turns its attention to Marist Catholic, the defending state champion in 4A that eliminated the Warriors from the playoffs last year, 2-1.
Phelps was asked what his team needs to focus on heading into the matchup at Marist.
“Just cleaning up some of our touches and being more precise,” he said. “We know with Marist, we can’t just play. We have to do everything the right way. So it’s just refocusing on where do we want to go with the ball first touch every time instead of hey, we’ve got time to kind of take a touch here and there.”
Marist is off to a 2-1 start this season with victories over Valley Catholic and North Marion and a one-goal loss to North Eugene, an unbeaten 5A school. The contest in Eugene is scheduled for a 6:30 p.m. start.
Philomath 3, Gladstone 0
Tuesday, Sept. 9, at Philomath HS
| Teams (Record) | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gladstone (2-1) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Philomath (3-0) | 2 | 1 | 3 |
Note: The game was delayed in the 64th minute because of lightning in the area and later canceled and ruled to be official.
First Half — 1, Philomath, Cannon (Bolton), 27th minute; 2, Philomath, Bolton (Bacho), 38th minute.
Second Half — 3, Philomath, Bolton (Nunez), 64th minute.
