Harris kicks Scots into 3A title game

LAKEWOOD

Michael Harris was ready when opportunity arose in the 36th minute of Shorecrest’s boys state soccer semifinal against Mercer Island Friday afternoon.

Harris, the Gatorade state player of the year, missed practice Tuesday and Wednesday while he was sick.

But when he was feeling better he worked on free kicks at his old middle school with his dad Gary. It paid off.

The junior midfielder bent a free kick from 25 yards out on the left side that went up and over the outstretched arms of Mercer Island goalkeeper Forrest Marowitz, who was a few steps out from the goal.

“I saw him sneaking out and I was like I might as well have a go at it. I hit it right and it went in,” Harris said. “To be on this stage there’s nothing better than to lift my team over the edge and take them a little bit on my shoulders and take them to the finals. That’s what a good leader has to do.”

The goal, which came after a hard foul by defender Jed Jacobson on Shorecrest forward Jonathan Cho that drew a yellow card, gave the Scots a 2-1 lead that would hold until the end of the game at Harry E. Lang Stadium in Lakewood.

The Scots (21-1) will play West Valley of Yakima (17-3) for the 3A state championship at 5 p.m. Saturday at Harry E. Lang Stadium.

Shorecrest had to keep calm and collected after Mercer Island scored in the game’s first minute, the first Shorecrest had given up in the state playoffs.

Senior midfielder Diego Corvalan collected a pass from senior midfielder Chris Morris and drilled it past Scots’ keeper Eric Baker.

But the momentum quickly shifted back to the Scots, who outshot the Islanders 14-4 in the contest.

“I think nerves got them a bit but we know we’re a good attacking team we felt we could come back and tie it up,” Shorecrest coach Drew Thompson said. “The kids are always confident they’re always going to get a couple goals a game.”

In the 23rd minute, forward Jonathan Cho evened up the score by doing an about face inside the penalty box and drilling a left-footed shot past Marowitz after a pass from fellow forward Eli Blauser.

Shorecrest continued to control possession and attack throughout the half. The Scots had a few near misses before Harris’ goal put them on top for good.

Last year, Mercer Island earned a trip to the semifinals with an overtime win over Shorecrest in the quarterfinals at Shoreline Stadium. The Islanders (17-1-1) had not lost this season.

“When we were in the locker room there was only one word on the board and that was ‘revenge,’” Harris said. “A lot of those seniors and upperclassmen remember that game a lot. It was good to come out here and give it back to them.”

The Scots will lose sophomore forward Glenn Paden, who led the team with 18 goals, for the title game after he was served with a soft red card, after his second yellow card in the 67th minute for tripping. Cho also did not return after receiving the hard foul from Jacobson after suffering a head or neck injury. Thompson said after the game Cho’s status for the title game is still unknown.

The title game will be an intriguing matchup pitting a West Valley school which has won four titles against Shorecrest, which has won two. The current group of Scots entered Shorecrest as freshmen the year after Scots won a state title in 2005 in previous coach Teddy Mitalas’ final year.