The Philomath High School boys soccer team opened its season Thursday night on the road against an unbeaten opponent that had already played two games.
Although Philomath led early and trailed by just one goal at halftime, Stayton erupted in the second half and pulled away for a 7-2 victory.
The Eagles improved to 3-0 on the season. Philomath (0-1) will play again Saturday with a matchup against Cascade on the field at Crescent Valley High School in Corvallis.
Junior Mark Grimmer scored Philomath’s first goal in the game’s fourth minute. Junior Dylan Bell set up the play and senior Nick Stucki flicked the ball over to Grimmer, who finished for a 1-0 lead.
Stayton scored the equalizer in the 14th minute while taking advantage of a Warriors defensive mistake. About 10 minutes later, the Eagles found the net on a rebound off the crossbar for a 2-1 advantage — a margin that held up through intermission.
In the second half, Stayton scored in the 42nd minute for a 3-2 but the Warriors were able to counter. Grimmer sent the ball into play on a corner kick and Stucki finished with a header into the net.
Stayton responded with two quick goals for a 5-2 lead and then added another two goals spread out over the rest of the half.
Philomath was the first team to score on Stayton this season. The Eagles shut out their first two opponents — Seaside (7-0) and Cascade (6-0).
Stayton 7, Philomath 2
Thursday at Stayton
| TEAMS (RECORDS) | 1H | 2H | FINAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philomath (0-1) | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Stayton (3-0) | 2 | 5 | 7 |
| SCORING SUMMARY |
|---|
| First Half: 1, Philomath, Mark Grimmer (Nick Stucki), 4th minute; 2, Stayton, 14th minute; 3, Stayton, 25th minute. Second Half: 4, Stayton, 42nd minute; 5, Philomath, Nick Stucki (Mark Grimmer), 44th minute; 6, Stayton, 47th minute; 7, Stayton, 48th minute; 8, Stayton, 65th minute; 9, Stayton, 74th minute. |
JUNIOR VARSITY
Stayton 5, Philomath 0
Thursday at Stayton
| TEAMS | 1H | 2H | FINAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philomath | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Stayton | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| GAME NOTES |
|---|
| Philomath’s JV opens the season at 0-1 … The Warriors conceded five goals in the first half but shutout the home team in the second half. … The JV team’s next game on the published schedule is March 19 at East Linn Christian Academy. |
