Philomath High’s boys soccer team capped an undefeated nonconference schedule Thursday afternoon with a convincing 4-1 victory over previously unbeaten Gladstone.
“I thought it was a dominating performance,” Philomath coach Dave Ellis said. “We let them hang around a little too long.”
Gallery: PHS boys soccer vs. Gladstone (Sept. 18, 2025)
A collection of photos from Philomath High’s 4-1 boys soccer win over Gladstone on Thursday.
Sophomore Sammy Hernandez recorded a hat trick to lead the Warriors’ attack, which included a goal just 40 seconds into the game and two more in the second half.
“We had opportunities to score in the first half but at the end of day, the whole game was mostly one-way traffic,” Ellis said. “We had to deal with a few moments here and there but they got tired and we kept going.”
Sammy Hernandez’s opening goal came courtesy of a deflection off the crossbar from a Jacob Hernandez header. Senior Zach Grapoli put the ball in play on a corner kick.
“Jacob got the header and it bounced off the crossbar to my left foot and I just finished it,” Sammy Hernandez said.
Despite controlling play, the Warriors led just 1-0 at halftime before breaking the game open with three second-half goals. Sammy Hernandez struck again in the 53rd minute on a free kick from about 45 yards, placing in the upper portion of the net out of the goalkeeper’s reach.
In the 73rd minute, Jacob Hernandez assisted by Grapoli scored and then one minute later, Sammy Hernandez completed his hat trick with an assist by senior Blake Hauck.
Gladstone managed a consolation goal from senior Levi Greco, assisted by senior Rylan Fisher, with 77 minutes on the clock.
The physical contest featured plenty of contact and verbal exchanges, resulting in three yellow cards — two against Gladstone and one against Philomath.
“We’re a physical team and Gladstone is, too,” Ellis said. “I mean, we play them year in and year out and I think the early goal really unsettled them. They didn’t know what to do with how we play.”
Hernandez embraces rough games. “They’re way more fun.”
Ellis credited the team’s superior conditioning, overseen by assistant coach Bill Callender, as a key factor in wearing down the Gladiators.
Hauck earned player of the game honors from Ellis, who praised his defensive performance as the best of his high school career.
“He was absolutely punishing as the left back,” Ellis said. “Cameron (McLennan) had a great quote that if you get past Blake, then you get to Caleb (Babcock) behind him and ‘it’s like fighting the jester to get to the knight’ — Blake’s hard and then Caleb’s even harder, and that side of the field was just shut down between those two.”
Beyond the tactical success, Ellis was pleased with his team’s chemistry and maturity.
“We’re playing for each other, you know, and team spirit was great today. It’s the best it’s been all season,” Ellis said. “That’s a big step for us — the kids have to grow up and mature and take on new roles.”
Philomath will next turn to Oregon West Conference play with a game at Sweet Home on Sept. 25. The Warriors will have momentum on their side with four wins behind them.
“We have a lot of good players and we have a lot of belief,” Ellis said when asked about how he keeps the team focused moving forward. “The boys genuinely like each other and they want to succeed. I have mostly seniors this year and they remember watching the team before they came.”
Philomath won the state title in 2021 when this year’s seniors were eighth graders.
“Jake has 10 regular-season soccer games left in his life, you know what I mean, so he’s focused on getting to the postseason,” Ellis said, referring to McGaughy, the team’s goalkeeper and one of nine seniors on the roster. “Our captains’ heads are in the right place and everything from that on down is going the right way, so I’m happy.”
Philomath 4, Gladstone 1
Thursday, Sept. 18, at Philomath HS
| Teams (Record) | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gladstone (3-1-1) | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Philomath (4-0) | 1 | 3 | 4 |
First Half — 1, Philomath, S. Hernandez, 1st minute.
Second Half — 2, Philomath, S. Hernandez, 53rd minute; 3, Philomath, J. Hernandez (Grapoli), 73rd minute; 4, Philomath, S. Hernandez (Hauck), 74th minute; 5, Gladstone, Greco (Fisher), 77th minute.
