After a slow start to their boys soccer season, seems just about everyone had given up on the Tahoma Bears.
Except the Bears themselves.
Now, instead of being on the outside looking in, the Bears are on the inside looking up – and not very far up at that.
Tyson Ellis set up two textbook goals off of free kicks last Friday night as Tahoma proved that lightning really could strike twice – in a manner of speaking – with a 2-1 victory against Kentwood at Maxwell Stadium.
That marked the second time in less than a month that the Bears knocked off the South Puget Sound League North Division-leading Conquerors. In a game on March 31 that was delayed three times by lightning, Tahoma scored twice during the final five minutes on the hail-covered turf at French Field to pull out a 3-2 victory.
Now, Tahoma (6-2-4, 22 points) is within one point of second-place Jefferson (7-2-2, 23 points) and just three in back of Kentwood (8-2-1, 25).
Kentwood began the week looking at three games to wind up regular-season play: Tuesday against Kentlake, tonight at Jefferson in the make-up of a game that was canceled because of a snowy field on March 28, and Friday at Kentridge.
“They looked like a team that has made a playoff run – their work rate and eagerness and intensity,” Kentwood coach Aaron Radford said of the Bears. “The run of play balanced itself out, but they capitalized on two set pieces.”
ALSO: Kentlake moved closer to clinching its first-ever playoff spot with a 6-0 rout of Kent-Meridian last Friday. Tyler Wright scored two goals, and Roberto Morales tallied a goal and two assists for the Falcons (6-4-2, 20 points), who remained in possession of the fourth and final playoff spot in the SPSL North, two points ahead of Kentridge. … KR (5-4-3, 18 points) stayed in the hunt by blanking Federal Way last Friday, 2-0. Sean Dunn assisted on both goals, one by Scott Geffre, the other by Joey Hancock.
BASEBALL: KL closes in on title
The Kentlake baseball team bounced back in a big way last Friday afternoon.
Sophomore pitcher Doug Christie went the distance on the mound, scattering nine hits, and Spencer Baldwin delivered a clutch, game-winning RBI in the seventh inning, leading the Falcons past Federal Way in a South Puget Sound League North Division game, 4-3.
Kentlake (11-2 in league, 15-3 overall) entered the day tied for first place with Tahoma. The Falcons lost to the Bears last Wednesday in an eight-inning thriller, 9-8.
However, Tahoma (10-3, 13-5) lost to Jefferson on Friday, 9-4, allowing the Falcons to take control of the North’s top spot.
Kentlake hasn’t won the North title since 2005, when it tied for first with Auburn.
Miles Nagel continued to swing a hot bat for the Falcons, going 1 for 3 with a two-run homer in the fourth inning.
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