As quickly as things went in Heritage’s favor in the first half, they went against the Timberwolves in the second half on Saturday.
Central Kitsap scored two goals in two minutes to rally for a 2-1 win over Heritage in a 3A bi-district quarterfinal boys soccer match at Heritage High School.
“We lost the game essentially in five minutes,” Heritage coach George Moya said. “That’s what it was, that five-minute stretch. You lose concentration, you pay the price.”
The price for the Timberwolves is being sent into the loser-out portion of the bi-district bracket. Heritage will play River Ridge or Auburn Mountain View at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in a loser-out match at Mt. Tahoma High School in Tacoma.
If Heritage wins Tuesday match, they will get two shots to clinch a state berth on Thursday and Saturday.
But early on Saturday, it looked like the Timberwolves would secure that state berth on Saturday when Donovan Grzelak-Winfrey took a pass from Adrian Vanencia and scored the game’s first goal 30 seconds into the match.
Heritage held onto its 1-0 lead through an evenly-played first half. The Timberwolves continued to cling to that lead well into the second half even after Central Kitsap began to create the bulk of the offensive pressure.
But in the 64th minute, the Timberwolves were whistled for a foul in the box, which led to a successful penalty kick by Jake Mackenzie.
Two minutes later, Mackenzie made it 2-1 Cougars with a goal in the run of play.
Heritage’s pursuit for an elusive second goal created a frenzy of opportunities in the final 10 minutes, but the second goal never came.
“They fought tooth and nail, and we’re gritty and kept chasing and chasing,” Moya said. “And unfortunately, that’s the way the game goes sometimes.”
At the end of a week that included a pair of thrilling overtime wins to clinch Heritage’s first league title in 19 years, the Timberwolves were crestfallen after Saturday’s loss.
“It’s hard to tell them to stay motivated for the next game right now,” Moya said. “They’re gutted, because they are in the now. But hopefully, we’ll shake this off and prepare for Tuesday.”
Moya said he hoped his relatively young team will learn from this experience and turn into action Tuesday.
“We have a tougher road ahead,” Moya said. “But there’s still state. Let’s try to get into that ticket. But we’re going to have to earn it.”
CENTRAL KITSAP 2, HERITAGE 1
Central Kitsap
Goals — Jake Mackenzie, pk; Mackenzie.
Heritage
Goal (assist) —Donovan Grzelak-Winfrey (Adrian Vanenica). Goalkeeper saves — Jackson Graham 7.
Halftime — Heritage 1-0.
