Tigers Go To State Quarter Final

SPOKANE - The WP Ti­gers won their second playoff game Friday, beating North­west Christian 2-0. The first-year soccer team is now ranked first in the state for 1B/2B schools. They will play Shoreline Christian in a quarterfinals game at home on Saturday. Final rounds usually have to take place on a neutral field, but the Tigers were able to get approval to use their own field in Prescott for Saturday's match.

Shoreline Christian is ranked 7th in the state and 5th on the west side.

In the game against North­west Christian, Tigers Lino Diaz and Miguel Velazco dominated. Both goals were scored by Diaz and assisted by Velazco.

"It was a tough game," said assistant coach Bart Baxter.

But not as tough as Thurs­day's game at home, where the Tigers won a nail-biter, loser-out game against St. George of Spokane 3-2.

"The kids were not quite expecting this hard a play," WP head coach Rickie Ham­ilton said after the St. George game in Prescott. "This was do or die: win today or go home." St. George scored first, the first early lead against the Tigers all season. It took some wind out of their sails. But they bounced back in the 33rd minute with a goal from Cesar Mungia on an assist from Francisco Gonzalez. The game was tied at the half. In the second half, WP scored first with a goal from Omar Virgen in the 55th minute. But the Tigers com­mitted a foul in the penalty box and St. George got the kick, scoring against Pedro Mendoze from the spot. The Tigers rallied with home crowd fired up on the sideline. Luiz Fernando Torres passed from the side, setting up a cross for Miguel Velazco who scored in the 65th minute. The Tigers held on their narrow lead for the rest of the game despite heavy pressure from St. George. WP is now 18-0. Saturday's quarterfinals game in Prescott will take place at 11 a.m. Admission will be charged, as mandated by the Washington Interscho­lastic

Activities Association, which uses the money raised for paying officials and off­setting the cost to school who have to transport team play­ers to state championship games. Tickets will be $8 for all adults and $6 for all students or seniors 62 and older. No discounts will apply.