SUMNER — The third came much easier than the second.
The Archbishop Murphy boys soccer team earned its third straight Class 2A state soccer title Saturday with a dominating 8-0 win over East Valley of Yakima at sun-drenched Sunset Chevrolet Stadium.
“It had to be the off- and on-field chemistry,” senior forward Matt Williams said. “This group is so tight. We’ve been playing together, some of us for 10 years and some more than that. At the end of the day, these guys right here would go out and die for each other.
“I think a big part of it, too, is our coaches, Mike Bartley and Mike Boswell,” Williams continued. “I’ve never met two men more prepared for anything. We have a scouting report for each team we play and they want to win just as bad as we do. I think we really feed off that and that’s something really special that has made this program what it is.”
It was the 42nd straight victory for Murphy (22-0) and came at the same venue where last season it needed two shootout victories over Sehome and Quincy to claim the state title.
Williams and fellow senior Jensen Crisler each had hat tricks while junior Sam Johnson and senior Diego Rios added goals as Archbishop Murphy became the first team to win three straight state titles since Mountain View captured the Class 4A titles from 1991-93. Jefferson High School holds the record with four consecutive state titles from 1983-86.
The 12 seniors formed the backbone of Murphy’s three-peat and all got their chance to be on the field as part of a mass substitution near the end of the contest.
“That was the best part that they made some promises to me and they came through,” Bartley said. “That group that finished on the field was a great group for four years and obviously that’s why we have three championships and I can’t say enough about them. They’re special.”
On Saturday, the Wildcats scored early and often, ensuring the state title match wouldn’t be a repeat of their season-opening 1-0 win over this same East Valley team.
Johnson cleaned up a rebound off Murphy’s first corner kick from just inside the 18-yard line three minutes in to put the Wildcats on the board. Five minutes later, Crisler fired a laser from nearly the same spot following the Wildcats’ second corner kick.
Williams notched his first goal of the game when he heeled in a corner kick from Isaac Feeney in the 13th minute. Williams added his second goal in the 18th minute when he beat a defender down the sideline and scored from inside the 18 to push it to 4-0.
Crisler’s second goal came in the 33rd minute with an assist from Williams as the Wildcats took a 5-0 lead into halftime.
“We’ve been here three times (and) I think we knew how to handle this game a lot better than the other team did,” Williams said. “Our technical ability is just so sound that they didn’t expect it. Nobody expected how good we’d come out. So much adrenaline and we just played to our full potential today.”
Williams completed his hat trick five minutes into the second half when the East Valley keeper couldn’t corral a cross and Williams finished at the front of the net. Rios converted a free kick from about 30 yards out in the 53rd minute to push the lead to 7-0. Crisler completed his hat trick in the 74th minute for the game’s final goal.
The Wildcats outscored their two opponents 13-2 in the final weekend and 109-7 for the season. That included Friday’s 5-2 semifinal win over Cascade Conference rival Cedarcrest.
“That is kind of the form we’re in right now,” Bartley said. “We’re playing our best soccer and we saved it for the state run, which was really nice. Having Cedarcrest and playing them three times, that third time really sharpened us up for tonight.”
Williams finished his senior season with 37 goals and 16 assists.
“It feels pretty magical,” said Williams, who won’t be playing collegiate soccer when he heads to Washington State this fall. “For a lot of us this is our last game and to go out like this in front of everybody is something I wouldn’t have even dreamed of. Everyone getting on the scoresheet, everyone involved the whole game, you couldn’t ask for something better than this.”
at Sunset Chevrolet Stadium
Goals—Matt Williams (AM) 3, Jensen Crisler (AM) 3, Sam Johnson, Diego Rios. Assists—Williams (AM), Issac Feeney (AM).
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