"Wilson rams Wolves, 5-1 in season opener"

"The soccer season got off to an inauspicious start for the South Kitsap High School boys team Wednesday night with a 5-1 loss to the Wilson Rams.The host Wolves showcased a strong defense and spurts on offense in the first half, only trailing 1-0 at halftime.But SK came out flat in the second half and Wilson exploited that with four goals.SK can't say it didn't have its opportunities to score, though.Utilizing the height of 6-6 junior Chris Kendall, SK just missed a couple of shots on goals off of corner kicks in the first half.While the Wolves matched up evenly with the Rams in the first half, a lopsided second half spelled doom for an SK team that mustered only two attacks on goal.One of those attacks drew a foul on Wilson in the box for an SK penalty kick.Junior Brandon Stacy tried to finesse the ball in the lower right corner of the goal but missed wide right.SK's only other attack resulted in a goal off a pass from Stacy to senior Nick Fletcher in the 63rd minute.In the second half I told my players the game would be decided in the first five minutes of the second half and it would come up to who wanted it the most, SK coach Eric Bergeson said.Sure enough, Wilson's all-state players Tony Minnitti and Todd Gjertsen each scored a goal within the first 10 minutes of the second half.Minnitti and Gjertsen each finished with a pair of goals.It was almost like we were content to be down 1-0 (at half), Bergeson said. I was a little guilty of that, too, because we were in better shape (against them) than we've been in the past.While a pair of Wilson's goals were near perfect and unstoppable from 18-20 feet, Wilson also scored a couple of goals off of second and third chance shots.The defensive support for senior goalkeeper Jimmy French - who had some spectacular saves to keep the game from being an embarrassment - wasn't there on this night.We're still learning to trust each other, Bergeson said. I just think we gotta be able to play some defense and find your marks. Basically I think they (Rams) wanted it more.The Wolves traveled to Olympia yesterday in another non-division Narrows League match.They host Lincoln Monday at 5 p.m. at the SK football field. "

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.