PUYALLUP — They didn’t go out on top, but for the boys of Skyview soccer a victory on a sunny afternoon was a pretty nice way to cap a very nice season.
The Storm beat Kentwood 4-1 at Sparks Stadium on Saturday to earn third place in the Class 4A state tournament. The win also avenged one of Skyview’s two losses on a season that also included 18 wins and three draws.
“Yesterday there were a lot of tears. Today we had so many smiles,” midfielder Carter Johnson said. “After every goal all the seniors came together and hugged. That’s what I’m going to remember. Not last night.”
Johnson didn’t score a goal in his final high school soccer match, but he did set up two of them as the Storm scored three quick goals in the second half to open up a 4-0 lead.
The first of those was scored five minutes into the second half by senior midfielder Garrett Bredy, putting the Storm up 2-0.
Bredy found space in front of the goal after Johnson controlled a long free kick from Austin Horner. With his back to goal, Johnson gave the ball two touches then slid a pass across to Bredy.
“It’s quite a way to go out,” said Bredy of his fourth goal of the season. “Last game I get to play for Skyview and I score a goal. I think that really opened up the game for us. It allowed us to be more creative in our attack.”
In the 53rd minute, Eric Ferris followed his own shot to make it 3-0 after a pass from Johnson sent Ferris streaking into the penalty area. His first shot bounced off the left post, but the rebound found him for an easy finish.
In the 56th minute, Brandon Zilles finished the Skyview scoring with an assist from Ferris. Kentwood, which beat Skyview 1-0 in overtime in the bi-district playoffs on May 17, scored from a corner kick in the 67th minute.
That was the second ball a Kentwood player put into a net, as an own goal by a Conquerors defender gave the Storm an early 1-0 lead.
Though it wasn’t the championship trophy, Skyview coach Jenn Johnson told her team she was proud the 10 seniors and of the type of soccer her Storm played to finish the season.
“Jenn told us to leave a legacy for all the people below us and I think we did that today with this win,” Bredy said.
SKYVIEW 4, KENTWOOD 1
Skyview (18-2-3)
Goals (assists) — own goal, 3rd minute; Garrett Bredy (Carter Johnson) 45th; Eric Ferris (unassisted), 53rd; Brandon Zilles (Ferris, 56th. Goalkeeper saves — Evan Laws 3.
Kentwood (15-4-3)
Goals (assists) — Joey Alonso (Aaron Molina), 67th minute. Goalkeeper saves — Admir Kucalovic 4.
Halftime — Skyview 1-0.
