FORKS — The Spartans soccer team got a huge game from Oscar Gonzalez, including a goal in stoppage time to pull out a 3-2 win over La Center in their Class 1A Southwest District 4 Tournament opener.
Gonzalez scored unassisted in a scrum in front of the La Center goal to break the 2-2 tie with overtime looming a minute away in Monday’s game.
“That was … stress,” said coach Joe Morton.
The Spartans (12-3-0) advance to face Seton Catholic (13-2-0) at 7 p.m. today at Montesano High School.
“They’re going to be good. I’m not as scared of them as I was,” Morton said. Seton Catholic came in second place in the Trico 1A League, but Morton noted Seton Catholic tended to roll up big scores against weak teams. Seton Catholic beat La Center twice, by scores of 5-3 and 3-2, so based strictly on results against a common opponent, the Cougars and Spartans appear evenly matched.
In the win over La Center, Forks got on the board first with a goal from Luis Perez on a “nice strike,” said Morton. Gonzalez assisted on the score.
Three minutes into the second half, the Spartans got up 2-0 on a header from Tony Hernandez-Flores, again on a pass from Gonzalez.
But, the Wildcats stormed back with two goals, one in the 47th minute and the second in a corner kick in the 61st minute.
The two teams played locked up at 2-2 for nearly 20 minutes until Gonzalez’s game-winner kept the Spartans from going to overtime. Morton said the team had just gone to penalty kicks Friday, a 2-1 loss against Elma, and that he did not want to have to go through penalty kicks again.
With Forks’ win that leaves three North Olympic Peninsula teams still alive in the postseason as Port Angeles won their 2A district opener and Sequim played Tuesday night against Washington, also in the 2A tournament. And Port Townsend just avoided staying alive in its postseason run, losing in penalty kicks in its district playoff game.
“You’ve got three teams consistently in the top level of soccer on the Peninsula,” Morton said. “You have to hand it to the rec leagues and Storm King (an elite youth soccer program) and the high school coaches. It’s just fun to see,” Morton said.
A win in the Seton Catholic game earns Forks an automatic state tournament berth and puts the Spartans in the district title game Saturday. If the Spartans lose, they’re still alive. They would have to face the winner of today’s loser-out game between Columbia (White Salmon) and Montesano on Friday in a winner-to-state/loser-out game.
Baseball
White Salmon 1, Forks 0
CASTLE ROCK — The Spartans lost their Class 1A Southwest District 4 opener to the top-seeded Bruins (16-4) in heartbreaking fashion.
Forks was no-hit by a committee of Columbia (White Salmon) pitchers.
The Bruins scored the game’s lone run on a safety squeeze bunt in the bottom of the fifth.
The Spartans (6-13) played King’s Way Christian in a loser-out contest late Tuesday at Hoquiam.
