TUMWATER — The Black Hills boys soccer team capped off one of the busier spring breaks in the area with an all-hands-on-deck win, getting six names onto the scoresheet in a 7-1 non-league win over Tenino.
The Wolves, who had won back-to-back 2A EvCo matches going into the break, had their momentum stalled a bit in a loss to 3A River Ridge on Monday. Thursday, Black Hills got back at it, this time playing a foe from a rung down the classification ladder, and looked the part, controlling play just about the whole way through.
“We wanted to get a lot of different guys playing time,” Black Hills coach Andrew Henderson said. “It’s non-league over spring break. Give guys the opportunity to see the field, get other guys some rest — some dudes are pretty banged up — going into the second leg of the season.”
The Wolves took control from the opening kickoff, keeping possession around the back line for a minute before lacing a diagonal ball upfield to Brady Mitchell, who cut in from the left wing to slot home an easy one-on-one chance before the clock had hit 100 seconds.
“The story there is really just Jace Brookerson,” Henderson said. “His vision in the midfield is incredible, and his ability to control the ball and protect the ball until he finds the pass that he wants. And when he gets the pass that he wants, that pass is going to end with a goal.”
Thirty minutes later, Mitchell made it 2-0 on largely the same play, this time cutting inside to get to a feed from Shane Braz, and beating the keeper again.
A minute later, Mitchell ran down yet another ball, keeping a long bomb over the top in play at the end line before cutting it back to Brookerson, who scored to make it a three-goal game just like that.
“He’s a speedy kid, and he’s been a workhorse for us all season,” Henderson said.
After 30 tenser minutes, with Tenino starting to gain a bit more possession and work down the field when it could, Mitchell’s runs opened the floodgates. As the first half drew to a close, the Wolves got one more tally in when Ethan Perkins cleaned up a spilled save off a long shot, and the hosts went into the break up 4-0.
With the match well in hand, Henderson and his staff dug deep into their expanded roster for the night, rotating in new faces throughout the second half. The Wolves also took the chance to move some of their grinders into playmaking positions, with senior defenders Zak Gilal and Connor Camp converting chances for their first goals.
Bereket Lester wrapped up the scoring for the hosts, who finished with 25 total shots, 19 of which were on target.
Brock Maurer made six saves for Tenino, playing the first half in goal before moving out after halftime. Jeffrey Bert got the beginning of the second half and made six more, and Chase Stiltner got in front of a shot as well.
Alex Reichelderfer gave Tenino its lone goal of the night in the 48th minute when the Beavers earned a penalty kick, slotting it home to make it 4-1.
The Beavers, now on a four-game losing streak, will get back to work far from home Monday with a trip to Forks.
Black Hills, meanwhile, will get ready for its second trip through the 2A EvCo. The Wolves currently sit at an even 3-3 in league, and will open their second pass at home against Rochester, which they beat 4-1 in their league-opener three weeks ago.
“The focus coming up is going to be what the focus has always been for us, and that is just playing our soccer,” Henderson said. “This league can be interesting, because anybody can get anybody. We don’t like to play rock, paper, scissors with how everybody else is doing in the league. The most important factor for us is that we show up and we’re in control of the game we bring.”
