Recent refugee leads Borah to its first district soccer championship
Rama Ramadhani came to America three short years ago and made the varsity team for the first time as a senior this fall.
But the refugee from Tanzania stepped up on the biggest stage yet in his soccer career, scoring the game-winning goal as the Borah High boys soccer team beat Eagle 1-0 for the first district title in program history.
“He’s been a big player the whole year. We all love him,” Borah midfielder Carlos Camacho. “… I think everyone has noticed that he’s extremely fast, he puts a lot of effort in, he’s skillful. He’s the perfect striker to have up top.”
The win earns Borah (10-3-4) the top seed heading into next week’s 5A state tournament. The Lions will put their eight-game unbeaten streak on the line at 9 a.m. Oct. 24 against the runner-up from North Idaho, either Coeur d’Alene or Lake City.
Eagle (9-7-2) already qualified for the state tournament before Wednesday’s loss. The Mustangs host Mountain View (9-8-3) in the first round at 2 p.m. Oct. 24 in their first state tournament appearance since 2011.
Borah put pressure on Eagle goalkeeper Drew Morris over and over again Wednesday with long balls into the box. Morris stood up to the test, springing off his line to make a host of sliding saves at the last second.
But the Lions and Ramadhani finally broke through in the 56th minute as Borah midfielder Dino Ibrulj lofted a 40-yard ball through the air into the box. Dom Ishimwe timed this one perfectly, redirecting the ball to the left past a sliding Morris. A wide-open Ramadhani then tapped it into the net for the only goal the Lions needed.
“It was a nice little combination play,” Borah coach Jayson Transtrum said. “It was good to see.”
The district title capped a dramatic week for Borah, which spoiled Boise’s perfect record with a shootout victory in the semifinals. The Lions already own a pair of state titles, but they needed three straight wins in five days to bring home the first district soccer championship — boys or girls — since Idaho started sponsoring the sport in 2000.
“It’s a real honor for all of us, and for our coach, working hard all season,” Camacho said. “We’ve just been working hard for this moment, and we took advantage of it. It means a lot that we did it.”
ROCKY MOUNTAIN GIRLS WIN DISTRICT TITLE
It just wouldn’t be a championship game without the Boise and Rocky Mountain girls soccer teams duking it out.
The perennial state powerhouses met with a trophy on the line for the third straight time Wednesday after splitting the district and state title games last year. Rocky Mountain added another trophy to its mantle Wednesday, edging Boise 1-0 for its first district title since 2013 and the second in program history.
“We’ve always had trouble with Boise, and it’s just been kind of a psychological thing more than anything,” Rocky Mountain coach Donal Kaehler said. “But I think the girls showed, and I think they showed themselves, that it’s not going to be an issue anymore.”
Midfielder Kelsey Oyler scored the only goal in the 27th minute. The conference’s leading scorer and Gonzaga commit has watched defenses cook up all kinds of schemes to slow her down this fall. But she took matters into her own hands by pouncing on a poor first touch from a Boise defender.
In a flash, she stole the ball and broke free for a 30-yard run before the left-footed junior sent a right-footed shot past Boise goalkeeper Bre Norris.
“That’s Kelsey,” Kaehler said with a laugh. “She always comes out of nowhere.”
The district title sends Rocky Mountain (13-1-3) into the 5A state tournament as the Southern Idaho Conference’s top seed. The Grizzlies open against Coeur d’Alene (5-6-5) at 9 a.m. Oct. 24 at Meridian High. Boise (15-2-2) faces Eagle (9-5-2) on the other side of the bracket at 2 p.m. at Rocky Mountain, setting up another potential rematch in the state championship game.
“I would hope we get to meet them in the final again,” Oyler said, “because this game is always fun, always challenging and always makes us better.”
This story was originally published October 16, 2019 at 11:19 PM.
