Conventional sports logic says this should be a down year for the Sprague High School girls soccer program.
But after a 2-0 home win Tuesday evening against West Salem, the Olympians improve to 4-2 in the Central Valley Conference and 6-3 overall and into a tie for second in the league.
"One thing we have that a lot of teams don't is we have really good chemistry," said Sprague forward Kelsey Martin, who had two assists Tuesday. "We understand who is making what runs and things like that."
Senior forward Bethany Johnson scored Sprague's first goal with 19:26 left in the first half by beating the West Salem defender on a run up the left side and as goalkeeper Alyssa Fox came towards her, Johnson booted the inside the far post from 15 yards out.
Eight minutes later Martin was fouled just outside the 10-yard marker on the right side of the field, she put a perfect free kick in front of West Salem's goal and Sprague senior defender Alyssia Kuenzi headed the ball in the goal.
"First of all, we had possession of the ball, we were playing really nicely in the midfield, we just needed that goal," Johnson said. "It was good to get that goal, get the celebration, and then the rest of it just kept coming."
Sprague shouldn't be doing this well.
Two all-league players from last year's Sprague team, Michela Turner and Nikia Evans, transferred to nearby South Salem.
The Olympians — who went 5-5 and placed third in the league last year — should be down on talent, but the players stay well organized on defense and their speed on offense makes them dangerous.
"We don't have any sort of attitude issues," Sprague coach Kevin Plechl said. "Everyone is buying into the philosophy of us being a team and just kind of building on that. Almost every training we have is successful.
"The girls are committed to Sprague, and each player continually works for each other."
The Titans drop to 4-2 in league and 5-3-1 overall with the loss.
For West Salem — which defeated Sprague 2-1 the first time the teams played this season — Tuesday's match did not have the desired result.
Two of the team's star players, midfielder Kiana Kawamura and forward Crystal Oliva, did not start due to injuries and the team had a hard time creating much offense against the Olympians.
"We just could get nothing going in the attacking third, which was the problem for us," sixth-year West Salem coach Tom Jaeger said.
"Sprague's a good team. I give them some credit. They're well coached. They're well organized. They have a lot of good athletes, and they beat us today."
Bill Poehler on high schools:
Wow, those are nice kids.
That was what I thought after walking away after interviewing Sprague girls soccer players Kelsey Martin and Bethany Johnson Tuesday evening after the Olympians’ 2-0 win against West Salem.
They gave articulate, thoughtful answers to questions and were happy to talk.
I can understand why the players, coaches and fans talk about the team’s chemistry.
I didn’t detect any attitude from the girls when I talked with them.
With some athletes, I get an air of self importance from the girls.
It either comes off as confidence or cockiness, like they feel they’re too good to be interviewed or — in some cases — to be playing a sport at the high school level.
But not with the Sprague girls.
You can tell they enjoy playing the sport together from their play on the field, and they are having fun when they’re not on it, too.
Maybe that’s why the team is doing well.