Boys Prep Soccer Roundup: Aberdeen rallies late, beats Tumwater on penalty kicks

Published 1:30 am Monday, May 4, 2026

Aberdeen and Hoquiam picked up wins as we review boys prep soccer games on the Harbor.

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Aberdeen 2, Tumwater 1

(Aberdeen wins 5-4 on penalty kicks)

Aberdeen rallied to tie the game late, then went on to defeat Tumwater for a thrilling 2-1 (5-4 on penalty kicks) victory on Friday at Stewart Field in Aberdeen.

The Bobcats (12-3 overall, 6-3 2A Evergreen) didn’t get off to the best start in a battle of two of the 2A Evergreen Conference’s top teams as the Thunderbirds (7-6-2, 6-3) got on the scoreboard first when senior midfielder Kaydon Hanks got around a defender slotted a hard, low shot from just inside the 18-yard box past Bobcats diving goalkeeper Grady Osina for a 1-0 lead just eight minutes into the game.

Aberdeen’s attack would push possession into the Tumwater defensive third throughout the remainder of the first half, but failed to crack the T-Birds defense as the Bobcats trailed 1-0 at the half.

“I thought we actually made great attacking runs and had some great ideas, but with the wind, we kept hitting the ball to far over the top,” Aberdeen head coach Larry Fleming said. “But we passed well and hardly gave them any shots, but it happens to us sometimes where we give up 1-2 shots and they score.”

With some formation changes in the second 40 minutes of play, Aberdeen created more dangerous scoring chances.

The Bobcats nearly converted on one of those chances when a Tumwater corner kick was recovered by junior midfielder Gibran Garcia who sent it deep downfield to breaking forward Gonzalo Blanes. The Cats senior got a good first touch to corall the ball, turned his defender around with a nifty dribble, then sent a hard, low shot toward the far post.

But Tumwater defender Grady Harroun dove to his right to get a hand on the ball and deflect it just wide of goal as his T-Birds teammates rejoiced.

“Gonzalo makes a great move and a really nice finish, and their goalie made a great save,” Fleming said.

Keen-eyed Bobcats midfielder Ricky Granados quickly got to the ball to take the corner kick as Blanes’ quick counter-attack had multiple Tumwater defenders still out of position.

Granados sent a nicely placed corner kick to the front of the net, where Aberdeen senior forward Toni Wang flicked the ball off his shoulder and into the top corner to tie the game at 1-1 in the 69th minute.

“I’m telling everyone to get up and Ricky, he was really smart and already setting (the corner kick) up and a couple of the Tumwater kids I don’t think were even ready,” Fleming said. “Toni got on it and oh, what a huge lift.”

The game would go to penalty-kicks where Cats keeper Grady Osina made the first big play of the shootout.

Tumwater’s Malachi Vuong stepped to the spot and ripped a hard shot to the lower right post. Osina read it perfectly and guessed correctly to make the save.

According to Osina, he had the perfect scout on Vuong’s penalty-kick preference – himself.

“I played with him during the summer,” Osina said. “So I kind of already had a guess as to where he was shooting. It was amazing. Saving a penalty is the best feeling for a goal keeper.”

Aberdeen senior co-captain Edgar Ceja followed with a shot that Harroun initially blocked up in the air, but the ball hit the turf and rolled in to put the Bobcats up 1-0 in the shootout.

The next seven players converted their attempts, with Aberdeen’s Ryker Scott, Gonzalo Blanes and Yoanis Chignesse scoring easily as the shootout was tied 4-4.

Granados then walked to the spot with the game at his foot and coolly placed a shot inside the lower left post, away from the outstretched hand of Harroun, for the game-winner.

“So many emotions. You can overthink the shot, whether you make it or not. If you miss it, it’s on you and if you make it, you come out victorious,” said an exuberant Granados of his mindset ahead of the pressure-packed penalty kick. “It meant everything to me. Knowing we lost to them last time 4-1, it was a difficult loss that all of us went through, going on a losing streak for three games. It just felt like a great win, knowing that we beat them at our own home.”

“I’m so glad they were able to score all five,” Osina said of his teammates. “That was not one of my best shootouts. The one I saved mattered. They scored all theirs and all that matters is we won.”

Granados, who was hobbled with a rolled ankle injury the day before and struggled to stay on the pitch in the first half, came up clutch with the assist on the game-tying goal and converting the game-winner in the shootout.

“I’m really glad the boys are rewarded for all their hustle and not quitting,” Fleming said. “Great job on the guys to make five PKs. That’s not easy to do.”

The win was key for Aberdeen, which is back in the hunt for a top two league-playoff spot with the win.

Aberdeen sits in second place in the 2A Evergreen Conference, one point ahead of Centralia and four points behind league-leading Tumwater.

It’s a bit of vindication for a Bobcats squad that started out the season 8-0 before losing three straight league games April 14-21, which had Aberdeen in fourth place in the league standings.

“We had some bad breaks, but the kids didn’t quit and didn’t stop working and we came back and got three straight wins and now we’ve got a chance to secure second place. We’re in good shape.”

“This game was very important,” Osina said. “We had a three-game losing streak, which didn’t feel great. These last couple of wins have helped us a lot. Our morale is a lot higher now.”

Aberdeen’s JV team won 1-0.

Dylan Reyes scored on an assist from Kevin Truong for the Bobcats junior varsity squad.

The Bobcats can lock up second place in the 2A EvCo with a win against Centralia at 7 p.m. on Tuesday in Aberdeen.

Tumwater 1 0 0 0 0 – 1

Aberdeen 0 1 0 0 1 – 2

Scoring

First half – 1, Tumwater, Hanks, 8th minute.

Second half – 2, Aberdeen, Wang (Granados), 69th minute.

First overtime – none.

Second overtime – none.

Penalty kicks – 5, Aberdeen (Ceja, Scott, Blanes, Chignesse, Granados). 4, Tumwater (Rauscher, Williams, Hernandez, Oltion).

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Hoquiam 8, Chief Leschi 0

Hoquiam capped off its Senior Night festivities with an 8-0 win over Chief Leschi on Friday at Hoquiam High School.

The Grizzlies (4-10, 4-9 1A Evergreen) honored seniors Dylan Avila, Brandon Lugo-Flores, Sergio Torres-Orozco and Santiago Martinez-Ortiz on Senior Night by scoring four goals inside the first 20 minutes against the Warriors (1-12, 1-12).

Avila had a a huge game with a hat trick and two assists while fellow seniors Lugo-Flores (2 goals) and Torres-Orozco (G) also scored for Hoquiam.

Standout junior midfielder J.B. Fabian had two goals and two assists for the Grizzlies in the rout.

Hoquiam faces Forks in a 1A Evergreen League game at 6 p.m. on Monday in Forks.

Chief Leschi 0 0 – 0

Hoquiam 6 2 – 8

Scoring

First half – 1, Hoquiam, Avila (Fabian), 1st minute. 2, Hoquiam, Avila, 6th minute. 3, Hoquiam, Lugo-Flores (Avila), 8th minute. 4, Hoquiam, Torres-Orozco (Fabian), 19th minute. 5, Hoquiam, Fabian, 27th minute. 6, Hoquiam, Avila (Velasquez), 38th minute.

Second half – 7, Hoquiam, Fabian (Avila), 50th minute. 8, Hoquiam, Lugo-Flores (Vazquez Hauge), 73rd minute.