The Philomath High School boys soccer team played Stayton scoreless into the second half on the road Thursday night but the Eagles were able to pull away for a 4-0 victory.
Philomath goes to 2-6 overall and 2-3 in the Oregon West Conference. The Warriors will hit the road again this coming Tuesday to face Cascade, a team the Warriors beat back on Sept. 21 by a 5-1 count.
Stayton is tied for first place in the Oregon West with Newport and North Marion — each of those three teams with 3-0-2 records. The Warriors are a solid fourth ahead of Sweet Home and Cascade.
The Eagles had several chances in the first half to break through on the scoreboard but Philomath’s defense held tough. Goalkeeper Jake McGaughy made a diving save to his right on a high-percentage shot by Stayton with just 35 seconds remaining to keep the game tied.
The Warriors, meanwhile, had few opportunities at the net.
In the second half, Stayton went up 1-0 in the 49th minute on a goal by junior Addison Samuell. The Eagles later went up by two in the 61st minute on a goal by senior Ismael Esparza. Senior Riley Burns and senior Angel Garcia added goals in the 63rd and 77th minutes, respectively.
