Changes have been aplenty at the campus of Centralia College.
The bleachers, press boxes and the completion of the indoor batting cages at Bob Peters Field was just the tip of the iceberg over the last calendar year.
Previous Director of Athletics Joe Chirhart stepped aside — multiple sources confirmed to The Chronicle — and the college has employed an interim AD in Jason Moir. All the shuffling left Noel Vazquez uncertain if the third rendition of the Blazer Cup will be full-go.
“We had a lot of interest from the teams that have been coming every year,” Vazquez, the CC and Centralia High School soccer coach said. “It is starting to be more recognized and the crowds are usually pretty good, too. I love the growth and the experience.”
Not only did the tournament kick off on Saturday morning, it was the biggest field Vazquez assembled.
Two Centralia teams, Black Hills, W.F. West, R.A. Long, Mark Morris, Onalaska and Kelso made up the tournament that concluded on Sunday with Centralia FC 1 upending R.A. Long 3-2 to win the tournament.
And there’s already talk of the 2026 field growing.
If the six others return, Vazquez stated that GSHL schools Woodland and Hockinson have expressed interest in making the trek north.
“See if we can get teams from our league like Aberdeen and Tumwater to come out,” Vazquez said.
The soul of the event is allowing teams to compete in a tournament setting two months after the regular season for boys soccer ended plus get the CC men’s team involved as staff and refs for the matches.
There’s a fundraising aspect of it too, but Vazquez mainly appreciates the community support.
“I’m so lucky to have such a supportive community,” he said. “The interest of the game is growing quite a bit.”
Tournament recap
On Saturday, Centralia FC 1 and R.A. Long were atop their respective groups with two wins each. Centralia blew by Kelso 6-2 and Mark Morris 9-0 while R.A. Long whipped W.F. West 9-0 and edged by Centralia FC 2 3-0.
Black Hills beat W.F. West 4-2 in a battle of EvCo teams, while Centralia FC 2 clipped the Wolves 2-1 in an early morning game. Onalaska went 1-1 on Day 1 with a 3-1 win over Mark Morris and a 4-0 setback to Kelso.
Sunday marked the final day with Centralia FC 1 and R.A. Long won 5-1 and 4-0, respectively to set up a championship showdown. Centralia FC 2 beat the Bearcats 1-0 in the final group stage match of the weekend.
Black Hills’ players ‘wanted to do’ Blazer Cup
Throughout the summer months, Black Hills head coach Jackie Zvirzdys Wood has seen her numbers fluctuate. One practice there could be four players, another can feature double digits.
Yet for the Blazer Cup, the Wolves come out in a full-fledged pack.
“They wanted to do it and it was player-led, which is really special,” Wood said. “It is about having fun.”
Eleven seniors graduated from a Black Hills team that was in control of its destiny for a spot in the district tournament, but four straight losses to end the season dampened any hopes.
Wood is hopeful improved chemistry can lead to jumpstarting 2026 on the right foot.
“We have lots of room for growth,” Wood said.
W.F. West letting younger players earn pitch time
Gone is a core group of seniors that the Bearcats leaned on en route to a Class 2A District 4 title game appearance and a near upset in the opening round of the state tournament. For the first time in four years, Uzi Lopez Cruz and Adrian Jaimes won’t be the focal point of the offense.
Still, head coach Allen Anderson is looking forward to seeing some of his younger guys earn opportunities, a phrase he used several times after losing to R.A. Long.
“To see the speed of play and skill level at the varsity level, it is really beneficial to gain that experience in the summer and they can see where they’re at,” he said.
He did let the majority of his varsity guys take the weekend off after competing in a tournament in Yakima. After this, the players will transition back to club season in preparation for the 2026 high school season.
“What our program is all about is our style of play,” Anderson said. “It is a huge benefit for guys to be coming out in the offseason so they’re learning that ahead of time.”
