Three years ago, the Grant boys soccer team established its place as one of the best programs in Oregon by winning the state championship. The team had proved itself a soccer powerhouse and people expected the team to continue its winning playoff tradition.

But the last two seasons haven’t been friendly to the team. Having been bumped early from the state playoffs in 2009 and 2010—both times by an upstart West Salem team—Grant wasn’t living up to its legacy. So when the season started this year, the players were on a mission: bring back the soccer glory.

The first game of the season against rival Jesuit proved costly for the Generals. They lost 1-0, and senior midfielder Josh Miller—one of the top players in Oregon—suffered a season-ending knee injury. The team was going to have to rethink its approach in order to make a run into the playoffs.

It wasn’t easy. Team morale was down and coach Manolis Tjuanakis had to make some adjustments. These changes ignited a five-game winning streak, but things weren’t clicking. At midseason, the team tied Wilson 1-1 before narrowly claiming victories against Redmond and Lincoln. Hope again began to build until the team tied Redmond and lost 1-0 Cleveland soon after.

That’s when senior midfielder and team captain Hayden Swanson said team members had some decisions to make. They talked strategy, organized special meetings and challenged each other to play at their highest level. “We had a choice between doing well or letting the season go to waste,” Swanson recalled. “We chose to go far.”

Junior forward Julian Hanlon-Austin agreed. “It was a realization point that we had to come together as a team so we could win the rest of our games,” he said.

The team ended the season with key league wins against rival Lincoln, South Eugene and Cleveland, making it to the playoffs.

At this point, the Grant boys were confident. The Generals, ranked second in the state, expected their first game against Newberg (ranked 42nd of 43 teams) to be easy. The game was not the effortless win anticipated. “We played a team that we struggled to put away,” Tjuanakis said.

The boys got off to a slow start, with Newberg scoring first. Grant then scored twice within the last three minutes of the first half. Newberg managed to score once more in the second half before Grant scored two goals to win 4-2.

The team then won against Tigard, Clackamas and Lake Oswego before entering the state final against Westview. The Generals played hard but struggled on offense. With four attempted shots in the first half, missed opportunities left both teams stuck at 0-0.

Grant entered the second half eager for a goal, but both defenses held firm. With 2:45 left in the game, Westview took a corner kick and converted on a header. Grant never came back. “We felt horrible,” said senior midfielder Abele Bekele. “The first half was good, but during the second half we lost our communication.”

Even with the loss, there were highlights. Hanlon-Austin was named ODS Player of the Game. On the season, senior forward Hogan Marhoefer was named 6A Special District 1 Player of the Year. Marhoefer, along with Swanson, Bekele, senior defender Casey Duckworth, and junior goalkeeper Jacob Palmer made first-team honors.

Junior defender Drew Edmonds believes that the team has become stronger. “This was the greatest season of my life,” he said. “We overcame and put things together when it mattered the most in the playoffs. . . . We had to fight for every game and play hard for each other.”

Tjuanakis is optimistic for next season. “We have about seven starting players returning,” Tjuanakis said. “Looking forward, the expectations will be high.”