Yelm High School’s boys soccer team played Capital High School on Thursday, April 20, in their fourth to final South Sound Conference game, dropping the match 4-1.
Prior to the game, five seniors on the team were celebrated for their contributions to the soccer program.
Hudson Nelson, Aaron Blevins, Alex Hubbard, Connor Curzon and Dallin Rosenberg were honored during the ceremony, according to Head Coach Jay Dorhauer.
Dorhauer said Nelson has been with the program for four years.
“He’s a great kid, but he’s a tremendous soccer player. He decided he doesn’t want to play at the next level and I understand it,” Dorhauer said. “I’ve really enjoyed coaching him.”
He added that Nelson leads every day by example at practice, despite the team’s winless record. The coach also noted Nelson plays hard for his teammates and said he would be missed as the center midfielder.
The Tornados played tough against Capital during the contest, but lost the South Sound Conference matchup 4-1. Dorhauer said the team showed signs of promise during the game.
“I think that was the first game throughout the year where we had everyone healthy and in the lineup. We ended up losing three of our guys to injury in that game and they couldn’t return,” Dorhauer said. “We’re in games for a time, but we really haven’t played a solid 80 minutes yet. We kept it close for 60 minutes and then the game got away from us. That’s how the season has been.”
Dorhauer said the team has lost a lot of players over the last several seasons. He said the team didn’t have enough experience this year to make up for the young players they have.
Going forward, he has high hopes for the group of freshmen on the team.
“I think the freshman class is a really good class, and we have five or six on varsity that are starting and playing. It's a good experience for them, but in this league, playing a bunch of freshmen isn’t a pathway to success,” Dorhauer said. “It’ll help for the future, but it’s hard to win in this league with a bunch of freshmen.”
The coach said the talented group of ninth graders includes Yoan Hongsachum, Jayden Phair, Ethan Warsaw, Edwardo Vargas and Sterling Temple.
Dorhauer said Hongsachum is skilled and technically sound for his age, while Phair possesses good technical ability and adds speed to the team. He added that Warsaw turned into a good defender throughout the season and that Temple will be a “very good” player moving forward.
“They’re all getting a good amount of playing time,” Dorhauer added. “They’re learning.”
While the team will remain young next year, he believes they will bridge the gap in South Sound Conference games going forward. He said Yelm and Ridgeline middle schools each have good soccer athletes that will supplement the program as they enter high school.
“I’m excited about the future. This year has been a rebuilding year,” Dorhauer said. “We’ve taken on slumps and we’ve also competed really well, but this is due to our experience.”
The team played North Thurston on Tuesday, April 25 at South Sound Stadium.
They were then scheduled to travel to Central Kitsap High School on Friday, April 28 to play the Cougars at 7 p.m. They’ll conclude their season on Monday, May 1 at South Sound Stadium against the River Ridge Hawks.
