During his seven seasons as Philomath High’s boys soccer coach, Dave Ellis has typically put a lineup on the field with a player capable of strong throw-ins. Adam Hernandez, Bryce Beeton and Dylan Bell come to mind.
Warriors junior Caleb Babcock has been taking more throw-ins this season, a particular area of his game that he’s worked on a lot. Opposing teams have noted his strength and accuracy.
Gallery: PHS boys soccer vs. Sweet Home (Sept. 26, 2024)
A collection of photos from Philomath High’s 5-0 boys soccer win over Sweet Home on Thursday.
“I’ve gotten better at them,” Babcock said after Philomath’s 5-0 home win over Sweet Home Thursday afternoon. “We usually try to have me throw in more towards the middle of the field and see if we can get a head on it or make something happen.”
Ellis has seen much improvement in Babcock’s abilities to effectively put the ball in play.
“Last year, Caleb wasn’t throwing the ball like that,” Ellis said. “It’s a weapon, it’s a weapon we definitely like.”
A strong throw-in can play a role in the outcome of a game. Ellis said it’s especially advantageous on teams that compete on a smaller pitch.
“It’s a big thing and it’s a bigger thing when we go to places like Newport that have a narrow field … you go to Newport and it’s only 53 yards wide and we’re sitting at 70 here,” he said.
Philomath (3-1 overall, 1-0 Oregon West) dominated Thursday’s game against the Huskies. The Warriors scored twice in the first 10 minutes on goals by senior Silas Pittman — the first on a header in the fifth minute off a cross by junior Zach Grapoli and in the ninth minute on a penalty kick that buried in the lower left corner of the net.
By halftime, Philomath led 3-0. In the 23rd minute, Grapoli scored from a tough angle after taking a pass from Pittman. On the play, junior Luke Arthurs tapped the ball as he rushed the net but the ball appeared to already be just over the line.
Despite the 3-0 lead, the first half also had moments of frustration with Philomath failing to finish on several opportunities with shots that sailed high or missed to the left or right of the net. Just before his first goal, Pittman had a shot that hit the crossbar off the keeper’s hand and Sammy Hernandez, Grapoli and Babcock had chances.
On one play in the 25th minute, Arthurs put the ball in the net but it didn’t count with the team whistled for off-sides.
“I thought our build-up play and our tactics on our chances were excellent,” Ellis said about the PHS performance. “We’re just a little rushed when we need to finish … it’s just over-hitting the ball and trying to do too much.”
Ellis believes the team is still working through some of those types of issues from last season.
“We have a lot of frustration and we can’t just relax and trust that we’re going to finish the ball,” Ellis said. “We were … ‘I’ve got to hit it twice as hard to make it go in’ and that’s not the way it works.”
Still, Philomath dominated by keeping the ball on its end pretty much the entire game. Junior goalkeeper Jake McGaughy, who returned to the lineup for the first time this season after being sidelined, didn’t even touch the ball in the box until the 39th minute.
“We had a lot of shots, a ton of opportunities and we only scored five but it was in our possession the whole time,” Babcock said.
Ellis said the team came at the Huskies with a new tactical approach and execution looked good as the team prepares for tougher opposition in the coming days.
“We’re just all playing really well together, working together and creating opportunities,” Babcock said.
In the second half, Grapoli scored in the 66th minute with an assist to Hernandez. Pittman then scored his third goal with Hernandez again credited with an assist.
The impact of two freshmen in this season’s starting lineup have also helped bring the team to a higher level.
“Sammy came in with a ton of skill and then Dreyton (Nuno) is still learning and making a great wing,” Babcock said.
Philomath will now turn its attention to Stayton, a higher-level opponent that will bring a 4-0 record into a Tuesday matchup. The road game for the Warriors is scheduled for a 6 p.m. start.
