Boys soccer inches past Hawthorne for the win

The Samo Vikings were hoping to win their first regular season game against the Hawthorne High School team at home on Jan. 13. This being a lot easier said than done, Samo was going to need a lot of effort in order to pursue their goal, which ultimately led to a 3-2 victory for the Vikings. The start of the game was in favor of Samo, who had more possession and shots than the opponent. A goal was much expected from the Vikings, and offender Luis Tamayo (’17) capitalized, giving Samo the lead 1-0 early.After Samo’s great run, they took a turn for the worst and their excitement was gone. Hawthorne instantly took advantage of this and scored two straight goals, taking the lead going into halftime.“We got too comfortable with our 1-0 lead, and in the future have to keep our intensity throughout the whole game,” midfielder Justin Bautista (’19) said.As the second half began, Samo needed two more goals to take the lead once again. After coach Joe Doyle pumped the team up, their energy was regained and offender Sebastian Garcia (’18) netted a goal to tie the game.“As soon as we started to play our style of soccer, the ball was moved quicker and we ran harder. [We] all played a role in executing the tying goal,” goalie Nate Comay (’19) said.Samo displayed their talent late in the second half. Right when fans thought this game was going to be a stalemate, captain Rico McGary (’17) scored the winning goal, earning their season debut win.“During those last minutes we were just chiseling away at the ball, hoping something would finally happen, when our captain stepped it up and got us the much deserved win,” Comay said. “We’re all happy with the outcome and hope to continue this style of play moving forward.”