Corvallis, Crescent Valley have sights set on knocking off Woodburn

By Raju Woodward
Gazette-Times Reporter

While the playing field was leveled by the OSAA reclassification three years ago, winning a league title didn’t get any easier for the Corvallis and Crescent Valley boys soccer teams.

Instead of battling the Salem schools for the top spot in the Valley League, they have to deal with Woodburn in the Mid-Willamette Conference. And so far, the Bulldogs have established themselves as the team to beat. They are 4-0 against the Corvallis schools the past two seasons.

“Woodburn reminds me a lot of South Salem,” CV coach Casey Fries said. “They are always good and are always up for the match, just like we are. It seems as if they have replaced our older rivalry with South.”

At the same time, Fries said he doesn’t think Woodburn is much tougher than other teams CV will face this season because there are comparable teams to the Bulldogs on their schedule. He’s hoping that will allow the Raiders to give Woodburn a better game than it did last season.

“I think wherever there’s talent is where the good teams are,” Fries said. “Things always seem to go in cycles. Right now, Woodburn is on a good run, but I think that will change.”

And this season is as good as any for CV and CHS to end Woodburn’s two-year run as MWC champions. Both squads are loaded with experience and talent and know what to expect when they play the Bulldogs this season. Woodburn is known for being well-coached and playing well together as team.

“We made some little mistakes last year,” CV senior defender Patrick Frey-Frankenfield said of the Raiders’ 2-0 loss to the Bulldogs. “We just have to pick up on those things and that can put us over the top against Woodburn. I think the leadership is there this year especially since we have a lot of players who played in that game back. They know what it’s like to play them.”

Part of challenge of playing Woodburn is psychological. The Bulldogs have been a powerhouse for years, so they expect to be good and are always confident. Abraham Camacho, a junior midfielder for CHS, said the Bulldogs can be intimidating because their players are strong and powerful.

But Camacho likes the Spartans’ chances of knocking off Woodburn this season. While the team must find a goalie to replace Ivan Sanchez, one of the top goalies in the state last year, it should have no problem scoring goals. In fact, he said he thinks CHS could outshoot the Bulldogs.

“We have a great offense,” Camacho said. “We have a lot of great players who have been in the program a long time. It should be a fun game.”

Added CHS junior midfielder Andres Nieves-Bernal: “We balance each other. Our communication has gotten better because we have confidence in each other.”

Last season, the Spartans played Woodburn to a 0-0 tie at halftime until the Bulldogs pulled away in the second half for a 2-0 victory. The Spartans, however, were able to find a positive in defeat. Nieves-Bernal said playing Woodburn as tough as they did helped their confidence and made them stronger as players.

Playing a team like the Bulldogs can have that effect on teams. So CHS coach John Callahan considers Woodburn to be a checkpoint match for his squad every season. Such games allow the Spartans to see where they are as a team, how they have developed and what they need to work on.

While CHS will play plenty of talented teams this year especially in nonconference play, Callahan admits the Woodburn game has become one that his players look forward to. That’s why he was so proud of his team’s performance last season against the Bulldogs.

“The challenge is to get our play up to the level of Woodburn,” Callahan said. “The last couple years we have come close. Last year we played them to a 0-0 tie until 10 minutes left. I know we can play with them. It’s just a matter of putting together the perfect game.”

There’s one thing that hasn’t changed the past three years though. The biggest match of the season is the one between each other, no matter how good Woodburn is.

“In my mind the toughest of the two games will be Woodburn,” Callahan said. “They are always going to be better. But if I am going to win one game, it’s the CV game. I’m sure Casey feels the same way.”

Fries agreed: “No matter what, if you are going to win one game, you want that one.”

And if one of the teams finally hands Woodburn a loss this season?

“We are going to be happy,” Nieves-Bernal said. “We are going to celebrate just like we do when we beat CV, but maybe not as much.”