Every time history is made, students never understand the significance of that moment. Innocence at this point gets in the way of the real progress these athletes have made.
But for Renton boys soccer, they now know how special their season was. At the beginning of the season, no one in their right mind would have expected themselves to be in this position.
“Nobody thought. The whole team, the teachers, the whole team, no one thought we could win,” sophomore forward Nathan Chavez said.
For the first time since 1985, the Red Hawks are competing on the field in the state tournament. It took some magical district management and the most amazing turnaround to break a 39-year drought.
Renton is off to a terrible start to the 2024 campaign. The RedHawks lost their first five games and won just one of their first nine games (1-7-1).
“We just couldn't get over this hump. We just couldn't figure it out,” said the team's manager, Aaron Howe.
But finding a bona fide goalscorer can be a big help when things aren't going well. Howe turned to the midfield where Chavez was playing, bumped him into the front of the formation, and he took off.
“Ever since Elhadj Diallo left the team two years ago, we have struggled to find a striker… We put Xavi up top and it worked. He has the right size and everything for it. We have the tools to do so,โ Howe said.
This senior-heavy roster was eager to hit the ground running rather than sit back and sleep through the night. Starting April 16, the RedHawks turned their season upside down. On that day, Renton defeated Lindbergh 4-3, starting a current nine-game unbeaten streak.
Having the strength and courage for such a transition is not easy. Renton finished second-to-last in the league a year ago, but the RedHawks have never finished with more wins than losses in a season since the pandemic. But they found a way to dig themselves out of the hole.
“This group is special. We put it together. I'm impressed with the heart and character of this team,” Howe said.
Players like co-captains Mamadou Dialou and Josef Villeda are just part of the culture and chemistry that Renton has developed. Even though they haven't played together outside of the red and white uniforms, their bond on the field is special.
“It's good to play next to him. We're always in sync and always know who's going where. It's nice to know that I can trust him and he can trust me. โ said Villeda.
Since the calendar changed to May, the RedHawks appear to have played all but one game in repechage. With that mentality, Renton has played perhaps the best football of his career with his back against the wall.
“The last few weeks have been intense days of repechage. We've been fighting for our lives since the High Line…We've peaked at the right times and are playing good football,” Howe said.
A big factor in their rapid recovery was the closeness the team members shared with each other. Because we had a lot of seniors and we knew they were better than what they played.
โOur chemistry, our ambition, our connections and knowing we had 12 seniors overall and knowing this was our last year…everyone knew we were They counted, and we made it personal,โ Dearou said.
As the district tournament began, it became clear that the 2A KingCo league might have been better than expected. In two games against SPSL teams, the Red Hawks won 6-0. The senior leadership and motivation really pushed Renton forward when needed. Dialou appealed to the motivational factor that he could be playing for 80-odd minutes until the end of the season, and it paid off. “It's like, 'This is our last season, we have to leave it on the field.'” I kept repeating, “Guys, this is our last season.” It's either win or go home, but I'm not ready to go home.”
With 3-0 wins over Enumclaw and Franklin Pierce, Renton will face rival Sammamish on May 11 for an all-marble game, winners vs. state, losers.
Part of their success may be due to the difficulty of the league in which Renton plays.
“The KingCo League prepared us for the first two games of the district tournament. To be honest, the first two games weren't as tough as the regular season…It prepared us really well.” Howe said.
In two games against the Redhawks this season, Renton escaped with a tie, making a 2-1 victory all the sweeter. “For me, we go into every game as the underdog,” Dialou said. “If you look at our record you'll be fooled. It may seem like an easy game to you.”
The RedHawks will play Columbia River High School on May 14 for a chance to win Renton's first state tournament game. The Rapids are 19-1 this year and have scored 19 points in their past three games.
“At one point, we were satisfied with making district. We thought we wouldn't get that far. Now that we've reached state, we know we can go even further.” said Chavez.
That underdog spirit takes on new life at the state tournament, and the lights get a little brighter.
“At the beginning of the season the stadium was empty, but now everyone is looking at us. The pressure is building,” Dialou said.