Vallivue soccer was an afterthought for years. Now it’s a state champion.
The Vallivue High School boys soccer program entered the season with no championship pedigree.
The Falcons had never won a state title. They hadn’t reached the state championship game since 2002. They didn’t even qualify for the state tournament last year.
But the Falcons still set the bar high. And on Saturday, they cleared it with a 4-1 victory over perennial power Blackfoot in the 4A state championship game at Bonneville High in Idaho Falls.
“From the very beginning, we told ourselves we wanted to go to state and win it,” Vallivue senior midfielder Raoul Barragan said. “So many people doubted us, and we proved them wrong.
“I’m so happy we won it. It’s unreal, and I don’t know how to explain it.”
Vallivue (12-3-0) needed to win a play-in game just to qualify for the state tournament. It fell in an early hole Saturday, conceding a 2nd-minute goal to Gabe Batacan of Blackfoot (16-2-0). But it was all Vallivue the rest of the way.
Baylor Eller headed in a corner kick from sophomore Alex Barragan in the 11th minute for the equalizer. Alex Barragan then put the Falcons ahead for good in the 28th minute, curling a shot from outside the 18-yard box inside the back post.
Raoul Barragan added a pair of insurance goals in the 53rd and 73rd minutes as Vallivue ran up the score on a Blackfoot team that had allowed only 15 goals in 17 games.
“Every other team, usually when they are down 1-0, they just give up,” Raoul Barragan said. “But our captain (Juan Osuna), he lifted us up and told us we could do it.”
The state championship didn’t just end a drought for the Vallivue boys soccer program. It is the first team championship for the school since its boys basketball team won a 5A championship in 2008.
“It’s huge. It really is,” Vallivue coach Christian Adamson said. “Seeing our local rival Caldwell take it a couple years in a row, it kind of ignited us and made us want to work even harder.
“We know there hasn’t been a lot of state tournament wins lately for the school. So it means a lot for the whole athletic program and the whole school.”
Caldwell 6, Bishop Kelly 0: The Cougars (10-4-1) blitzed the Knights (11-2-0) to win the consolation title and a state tournament trophy for the fourth straight year.
Chuy Gonzalez led the charge with a hat trick and two assists. Damian Arguello added a goal and two assists, ending his decorated career with 108 goals, including 28 goals and 15 assists in 15 games his senior year.
Yahir Esquivel and Yahir Flores also scored for Caldwell, and Rylan Tutor made six saves in the shutout.
3A BOYS SOCCER STATE TOURNAMENT
Sun Valley 2, Weiser 0: Senior Willie DeWolfe scored twice to lead Sun Valley Community School (9-3-0) to its third straight state title.
Weiser (6-6-0) finishes as the runner-up for the second straight year.
4A GIRLS SOCCER STATE TOURNAMENT
Columbia 1, Middleton 0: Peyton Dion sent a floater over Middleton goalkeeper Dylan Davis’ hands in the 30th minute to lead the Wildcats to the third-place trophy.
Columbia goalkeeper Kennedy Flint stopped 14 shots to preserve the shutout for the Wildcats (9-3-0), who won the second state tournament trophy in program history. It also finished third in 2008.
Bishop Kelly 6, Skyline 1: The Knights bounced back from a first-round loss to win the consolation trophy, the fifth straight state trophy for the program.
Mia Cartwright and Kathleen McGratch each scored twice for Bishop Kelly (12-1-0). Ali Chatterton and Maggie Novosel had BK’s other goals.
This story was originally published October 24, 2020 at 6:57 PM.
