Let's be clear about one thing: Mountain View and Heritage are co-champions of the 3A Greater St. Helens League for boys soccer after playing Wednesday night in Mountain View and ending in a 1-1 tie. is.
This happens when two teams finish the season at the top of the league standings with the same record (5-1-2 in this case).
Tiebreakers will then be used to determine seeding for the bi-district playoffs.
And after the game, Mountain View players celebrated, thinking they had the advantage in the tiebreaker thanks to the Thunder's 1-0 win over Heritage on April 9.
The Timberwolves then began celebrating, thinking they had gotten recognition based on goal difference.
After a few minutes of confusion and several phone calls, the team had an answer.
Mountain View earned the coveted No. 1 seed.
It was a surreal ending to a thrilling night of intense football.
“It was a huge game,” junior Daniel Reyes said. “I like games like this, and I like good games. … It was a great game. Heritage is a very good team. It was a great battle.”
The drama started right away when Mountain View senior goaltender Owen Purvis made the ceremonial start in goal.
Purvis was unable to play due to a back injury. Both teams agreed that Mountain View would start the game by giving the ball back to Purvis in the goal before it was kicked out of bounds. Then fellow senior Christian Wilson scored in Purvis' place.
Once the game started, Heritage put heavy pressure on the goal in the first half, but a solid defense by Wilson and the Thunder backline prevented the Timberwolves from scoring.
“(It was) communication and just wanting to play purely for each other,” Wilson said of the Thunder's defensive success. “Last year we were very close to winning the league and Heritage was the team that took it away from us. We really wanted to do it this year and we wanted it more.”
After a scoreless first half, the Thunder quickly mounted an attack in the second half. Reyes forced the ball on a breakaway, drawing out Heritage goaltender Jackson Graham. Graham was called for a foul on Reyes 18 yards outside the box and drew a red card.
Reyes took the ensuing free kick and perfectly placed it towards the far post.
“I got the ball there. I knew I had the ball, so I was like, 'Just let me have it,'” the junior said. “I was confident so I scored for the team.”
From there, Wilson and the Thunder defense continued to run Heritage back as the Timberwolves kept up the pressure looking for the tying goal.
The goal ultimately came in stoppage time, when senior Marcos Tovar Martinez snuck down the right wing and shot the ball past Wilson.
After 80 pressure-filled minutes, both teams played a further 10 minutes of extra time. Heritage had some quality shots on goal, including one near the end that required a diving one-handed save from Wilson.
“Coach said we have to stay calm and keep our heads level,” Wilson said. “If we didn't do that, we wouldn't have stayed at Heritage.”
Mountain View has a home game against Gig Harbor on Saturday, with the winner qualifying for the state tournament.
Heritage will also play a loser's game at home against Peninsula on Saturday. The Timberwolves need two wins in the elimination games to have a chance to qualify for state.
That's why the Thunder were happy when they learned they were eliminated in the tiebreaker.
“Probably all good things,” Wilson said of what the Thunder can take away from Wednesday's game. “Heritage is a really good team. It was great to play against them in the last game of the season.”
