By Jeremy McDonald

jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com

SALEM, Ore.–  There was a storm a-brewing in Salem Wednesday night and it wasn’t the big storm rolling in.

At McKay High School, the Scots Boy’s Soccer team and West Salem High School were in a straight out dogfight.

Down 1-nil early on, McKay scored two unanswered for a 2-1 before the Titans scored two of their own to take a 3-2 lead enter halftime.

“it was a intense game,” said Brian Romero. “But that’s what happens in tough games, you got to give it your all and fouls come with it too.”

Fouls were a plenty in both halves of the game, but it seemed to be in demand more so in the second half.

Who knows if it was Senior Night magic or what as the seniors were recognized in front of the home stand crowd, but when the second half start, the war ensured with the Scots having a renewed sense of motivation.

Down 4-3, McKay tied it up with 17:30 remaining in the game at four.

The physicality continued, West was finding the open guy down field and having one-on-one’s at the goal with the hunger to upset the Scots on Senior Night.

Unfortunately, McKay’s senior goalie Brandon Morales had different plans.  No one was going to ruin his and his team’s night.

Even if it’s a West Salem team who came in 9-1-1 overall and 4-1-1 in the Greater Valley Conference.

Morales bounced around the goal, left and right, high and low, saving the checkered ball like receiver catching a ball in football.

“Never give up and put in some effort, you’ll get what you want,” said Morales.

Then, with 6:52 left in the game, Yobeli Manzo was in the area as the Scots regained the lead as the ball saw the back of the net.

Now playing with the lead, the Titans tried to tie before time was up.  They were even bringing up their own goalie to add a extra offensive player to knot the game up.

But they were denied, every time.

Every corner kick, every free kick, every shot, didn’t go in.

Morales even milked the clock when he got the ball by dribbling up to draw the West guy in only to pull the ball up to kick it to the field.

“I don’t know, I was just excited,” he said with a smile and a laugh.

When the clock ran out, under a light rain, the scoreboard read: MCKAY 5, GUEST 4 as the Scots were cheering and hugging one another and West were walking off in disbelief of the result.

For Morales and Romero, to win Senior Night wearing the Scots colors means everything to them.

“It means respect, hardworking, never give up,” said Morales.

“it’s a great feeling, it’s a awesome feeling know that your representing a great school and a lot of respect comes along with it too,” said Romero with a grin.

Head Coach Ben Lopez is so proud of how his team performed Wednesday and knows that how good of a feeling it is to defeat a Titan squad that was competing for a GVC Conference Title.

“Like I said in my speech out there, I couldn’t be more proud of them,” said Lopez.  “I think they have showed me what this team is about.  We went down a couple games, where my kids, we almost lost it, there confidence was going down.  But all of a sudden we won three in a row..my kids, came here with the right attitude, the right mentality for two games in a row.

“(They) kept it, this was a boxing match that I will never, espcally for these seniors, how can this game make them proud?  I’m just proud of them.”

Lopez adds too it was too the help of the whole squad in this effort to make it happen.  A complete team win as they fought like Royal Scotsmen.

“I couldn’t be more proud, I think I’ve ever seen something like this before,” “I’ve been here for five years, this is my second year (as Head Coach).  I’m just excited for them, this is not the end.  I promise these kids, ‘This is just beginning.  This is it, this is the beginning’.”

Beginning is just right.

And the boys will have an opportunity to carry this momentum into the final week of the regular season with games at Forest Grove (Tuesday) and Sprague (Thursday).

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Photo Gallery by Jeremy McDonald