Montesano outguns Hoquiam in high-scoring season-opener

Published 1:30 am Friday, March 13, 2026

MONTESANO–In what turned out to be a back-and-forth, high-scoring affair, Montesano rode a four-goal performance from senior Cris Tobar en route to a season-opening 6-4 victory over Hoquiam on Thursday at Jack Rottle Field.

The Bulldogs (1-0 overall, 1-0 1A Evergreen) trailed early on after the Grizzlies (0-1, 0-1) struck first when junior forward Trevon Molina followed up his own deflected shot for a goal in the 13th minute.

But Monte would tie the game five minutes later when Tobar followed the rebound of teammate Daniel Schallon’s shot and slotted it past Grizzlies keeper Cesar Gonzalez to tie the game at 1-1.

Molina’s second goal of the game put Hoquiam back on top when he followed a deflection by oncoming Monte keeper Jayvin Painter and put the loose ball into an open net in the 29th minute.

With the first half winding down and Hoquiam appearing to head to the break with the lead, lightning struck for Montesano, with Tobar once again figuring into the mix.

With the Bulldogs on the counter attack in stoppage time, Tobar received the ball on the Monte side of the center line as senior winger Terek Gunter called for the ball while bolting down field on a run.

Without skipping a beat, Tobar immediately shucked a pinpoint through pass right to the feet of Gunter, who ran onto the ball 10 yards across midfield and scored on a breakaway to tie the game at 2-2.

“That was so huge,” said Monte assistant coach Gary Mawhorter, who was the acting coach as head coach Fidel Sanchez was unavailable for personal reasons. “I didn’t realize we were that close to the half. We got into the locker room and it gave us energy to come out and keep things going.”

“It’s so disappointing to have your own corner turn into a goal for them,” New Hoquiam head coach Daniel Langer said of the Bulldogs’ tying goal. “That was just a simple coverage issue. … I think we just came out a little flat (in the second half).”

Monte carried the momentum into the early portion of the second half.

The Bulldogs got their first lead of the game when Schallon scored on a header off an Andrew Bruland corner kick less than two minutes into the half.

But four minutes later Hoquiam would tie the game at 3-all when Hoquiam midfielder J.B. Fabian scored on a penalty kick.

Monte would take the lead for good when Tobar in the 53rd minute and recorded a hat trick with a goal in the 73rd minute.

“We moved the ball better,” Mawhorter said of Monte’s second-half surge. “We want to be known as a possession team that can go out and control the pace of the game and I felt we did that. … Halftime is a tune-up time and we tuned things up and the boys responded very well.”

Hoquiam freshman winger Carlos Lopez scored off an assist from junior forward Michael Garcia in the 81st minute to cut the deficit to 5-4 and – due to a lengthy second-half delay after an injury to Gonzalez – the Grizzlies hurried back to midfield in hopes of scoring the equalizer.

But Tobar put the finishing touches on the win, scoring on a breakaway as Hoquiam pushed numbers forward to seal the deal in the 85th minute.

The Grizzlies were held without a shot over the remaining four minutes of a near nine-minute stoppage time as Monte won the season and 1A Evergreen League opener 6-4.

“I liked their heart tonight,” Mawhorter said. “It was a tough game and Hoquiam has always been a tough opponent for us and we had some new faces out here. … They could have easily stepped down, but they didn’t.”

Tobar had four goals and an assist while Bulldogs junior goal keeper Cyrus Luft made five saves in the second half to help preserve the victory.

“We bounced back hard and fought until the end,” Langer said, referencing his team’s response to Gonzalez leaving the pitch under medical supervision after colliding with Tobar on a 50-50 ball in the second half. “You obviously have a mentality shift when your keeper goes out on an injury like that. … The adrenaline went right out of us. I think they went from athletes to teammates and friends.”

Gonzalez was alert and conscious on the field after taking a blow to the head on the leaping collision approximately halfway through the second stanza. He left the game after being evaluated under concussion protocols.

Langer said his team performed well in multiple aspects of the game, particularly how his players didn’t get down on themselves despite being behind on the scoreboard.

“The passing was brilliant, the finishing was brilliant and the support of each other was amazing,” he said. “Overall, the response was huge today and the mentality from them was different than last year. … This game, we did respond with that goal and we had some chances. … Just unlucky today, but I’m very proud of them and their performance.”

Montesano will host a Jamboree on Friday before returning to official action against Wahluke in a non-league contest at 10 a.m. on Saturday.

Hoquiam faces Aberdeen in a Myrtle Street Rivalry matchup at 4 p.m. Saturday at Stewart Field in Aberdeen.

Hoquiam 2 2 – 4

Montesano 2 4 – 6

Scoring

First half – 1, Hoquiam, T. Molina (Martinez), 13th minute. 2, Montesano, Tobar, 18th minute. 3, Hoquiam, T. Molina, 29th minute. 4, Hoquiam, Gunter (Tobar), 40th minute.

Second half – 5, Montesano, Schallon (A. Bruland), 42nd minute. 6, Hoquiam, Fabian, 46th minute. 7, Montesano, Tobar, 53rd minute. 8, Montesano, Tobar, 73rd minute. 9, Hoquiam, Lopez (Garcia), 81st minute. 10, Montesano, Tobar, 85th minute.