The Kings Way Christian and Columbia White Salmon boys soccer teams were put to the test Saturday as temperatures approached 90 degrees, made even more so by Seton Catholic's unshaded turf.
If grades were based on resilience, both teams earned an A-plus.
Columbia scored a goal in the sixth minute of overtime to defeat Kingsway 2-1 in the Class 1A District 4 championship game.
The Bruins' first district title since 2010 came after Kingsway forced overtime on Hunter Barron's header with 12 minutes left in regulation.
That happened five minutes after Colombia's Isaac Reynoso broke the equalizer in a tense, scoreless game.
The players poured water on their hair every time the game was stopped, but even after both teams suffered bad luck, their hair did not sink.
That was the story for Kings Way (9-6) all season. Despite being plagued by injuries, the team finished third in the Trico League and advanced to their first regional title game.
“We started the season with a lot of injuries and we still didn't have a fully healthy squad today,” Kingsway coach Nico Devera said. “Caught in the heat, it pushed us to the limit. But credit to the Bruins. They're a good team, but not every team can play like they do. In many ways I We tested them.
The Knights, who advanced to their first district championship game by defeating rival Seton Catholic in the district semifinals, will return to the Class 1A state tournament after making their debut last season.
“It’s a credit to all the boys,” Devera said. “They got the job done by beating Seton on Thursday. That was their biggest goal. They went into this game with confidence and had a good feeling. Nobody on this team could do this. They've never beaten Seton before, so this is a milestone not only for this school but for them as well.”
Kingsway lost both of its regular season games, including a 3-0 loss to Columbia on April 30th.
Less than two weeks later, the Knights were even with the Trico League co-champions through most of Saturday's back-and-forth games.
It wasn't until 17 minutes remained in regulation that either defenseman blinked. Bruins sophomore forward Isaac Reynoso took a low shot from 20 yards inside the right post.
This prompted loud celebrations from about 200 fans who came from White Salmon carrying large red and black flags.
But King's Way had no intention of sulking. Five minutes later, Luke Gomez curled a corner kick in front of goal. There, senior midfielder Barron outran two Bruins defenders and headed the ball into the goal.
The game eventually went into golden goal overtime. Colombia had a shot on goal with the final kick in the fifth minute of extra time, but the free kick from just outside the penalty area went wide.
Immediately after play resumed, Bruins defender Cole Wooding took a kick toward the goal from 40 yards out. The ball went straight into the net through heavy traffic.
“I was trying to get the ball to Luke (Miller) and luckily it went in,” Wooding said. “I haven’t scored many goals, but I scored a great goal.”
Columbia (14-2), No. 4 in the 1A RPI rankings, is looking to reach the state tournament for the third straight season.
“We are very different from club players,” Wooding said. “We don't play all year round. We work hard, but we're also smart. We don't just kick the ball and run.”
Meanwhile, Kings Way will head to state relying on the late-season resiliency it showed Saturday.
“Even though we lost to them today, we're still in a good position,” De Vera said. “What's really important is to relax, move your mind, and enjoy the process.”