Philomath High’s Kya Bolton had something to prove Tuesday afternoon.
After what she described as an underwhelming performance in her previous outing, the Warriors sophomore came out with intensity and purpose against Cascade and scored all four of the game’s goals in the first half of a 4-0 Oregon West Conference victory.
Gallery: PHS girls soccer vs. Cascade (Oct. 21, 2025)
A collection of photos from Philomath High School’s 4-0 girls soccer win over Cascade on Tuesday.
“I was a little upset about my performance last game so I just knew I had to pick up my intensity and get out of my head and play a good game,” Bolton said. “I think I accomplished that.”
Bolton’s offensive explosion began with a familiar formula. Junior Ana Candanoza delivered two long upfield passes that sprung Bolton behind the Cascade defense for 1-on-1 opportunities against the goalkeeper. Bolton converted with precision in the seventh and 16th minutes.
“Ana’s my favorite person to assist me — I love her,” Bolton said.
The connection between the two Warriors was exactly what coach Mat Phelps had drawn up.
“From the last time we played them, we knew that we had opportunity in behind their defense and obviously she’s really fast and skilled with the ball, so that was our game plan,” Phelps said. “We just worked on those 1-on-1s with the keeper and she executed really well.”
Bolton’s speed proved too much for the Cascade defense to handle throughout the match.
“It seemed like they were surprised every single time I ran past them,” Bolton said. “They would try to trap the ball or pass it and it’s almost like they forgot I was fast.”
Bolton’s intelligence on the pitch matched her athleticism. By timing her runs to start from Philomath’s side of the field, Bolton ensured she couldn’t be caught offside.
“I think sometimes when you have a really fast player, maybe you hope you can catch them offside and she made some of the runs starting from our side so she can’t be offside,” Phelps said. “She’s just a smart player and put herself in a good position.”
The Warriors went up 3-0 in the 30th minute with senior Brielle Hagen assisting on the goal.
Bolton’s fourth goal came with extra motivation. After Candanoza received a yellow card in the 35th minute following contact with a Cascade player near the net, Bolton channeled her frustration into productivity.
“Instead of getting revenge in a physical way or just verbally against the other team — because I was a little upset about the call against Ana — I needed to do something about it,” Bolton said. “So instead of pushing someone or saying something, I decided to just score another goal. That was my response.”
Bolton’s final goal occurred in the 36th minute of a game that pushed both teams physically.
“It was physical in there and I mean, obviously I saw it (card on Candanoza) a little bit differently than he did, but I told both of the girls that they’re playing hard and trying to do it the right way and sometimes we just live with that,” Phelps said. “It’s much better than getting a card for chatting at the referee.”
Junior Emma Mechan also received a yellow card during the match.
With a comfortable lead established, Phelps shifted his focus in the second half away from the attack and toward defensive organization. The Warriors didn’t add to their total, but they executed the game plan effectively.
“We felt like we had good control of it and we wanted to focus on a couple of things defensively and we did much better,” Phelps said. “I feel like we controlled it a lot better on the defensive end … so I was not too worried about not scoring a goal.”
Goalkeeper Makena Sleeman was active in the first half but had limited touches over the final 40 minutes as Philomath dominated possession.
“We worked on coming off the line and getting the balls and she did a great job with that,” Phelps said.
Bolton, who exited the match with about 10 minutes remaining, praised her teammates’ contributions across the field.
“I think we played really good,” she said. “I loved our combinations, especially between Angelica (Morales-Marquez), Bethany (Cannon) and Jordyn (Hood) up top. Jordyn got a lot of through balls to her and crosses and then Ellie (Dye) was where she needed to be at the far post ready to score. I could tell she really wanted it.”
In the final seconds of the match, Cannon got off a shot that would’ve found the back of the net if not for a diving Cascade keeper.
The victory marks the second time this season Philomath has defeated Cascade by a 4-0 margin with the first meeting coming on Oct. 2.
Philomath improved to 12-1 overall and 8-0 in the Oregon West, while Cascade dropped to 3-9 and 2-6.
The Warriors will look to extend their unbeaten league streak when they travel to North Marion on Thursday at 6 p.m. Philomath edged the Huskies 3-2 in their first meeting on Oct. 7.
Philomath will close out the regular season on Oct. 28 at home against Newport. The match, which begins at 3:30 p.m., will be preceded by a ceremony honoring the team’s seniors.
Philomath 4, Cascade 0
Tuesday, Oct. 21, at Philomath HS
| Teams (Record) | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cascade (3-9, 2-6) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Philomath (12-1, 8-0) | 4 | 0 | 4 |
First Half — 1, Philomath, Bolton (Candanoza), 7th minute; 2, Philomath, Bolton (Candanoza), 16th minute; 3, Philomath, Bolton (Hagen), 30th minute; 4, Philomath, Bolton (Nunez), 36th minute.
Junior Varsity: Philomath 3, Cascade 0. PHS Goals — Wilson, Wilson (Allen), Wilson (R. Oster).
