Woodburn defeats North Marion in 4A boys soccer state championship game

HILLSBORO – Woodburn left no doubt that it is among the premier boys soccer programs in the state at any level.

The Bulldogs defeated North Marion 2-0 in the OSAA Class 4A boys state championship game Saturday night at Liberty High School, securing their third state title in a row.

No. 3 seed Woodburn (17-1) moved down a classification from 5A beginning this school year and dominated throughout the season, outscoring its opponents 98 to 4.

The Bulldogs shut out all four of their state playoff opponents.

“I’ve been here multiple times, but this year being my senior year it feels great,” said senior forward Jesus Rodriguez, whose goal in the 59th minute on an assist from senior midfielder Trevor Karsseboom extended the lead to 2-0.

“Playing for the community, playing a team down the street (North Marion High School is located in Aurora), it’s beautiful man. When you play the game and you play together, you get the state championship.”

Sophomore forward Jimmy Martin scored an unassisted goal in the fourth minute as Woodburn applied pressure from the outset.

No. 13 seed North Marion (10-5-3), which defeated No. 1 seed Phoenix in the semifinals, didn’t attempt a shot until the second period.

Woodburn had 25 shots overall, including 11 shots on goal, to three shots (one on goal) for the Huskies.

The Bulldogs were certainly the team to beat this season in 4A after back-to-back 5A state titles. Their only blemish was a 1-0 loss at Oct. 10 at Stayton, a team they defeated earlier in the season.

“5A, 4A, and we’ll keep going and trying our best,” Woodburn senior midfielder Edwin Silva said.

Woodburn and North Marion met in the season opener Aug. 30, with the Bulldogs winning 5-1 on the Huskies’ home field.

The rematch went Woodburn's way again, but North Marion stayed within striking distance.

“I’m really proud. We started from the bottom and we worked all the way up to the finals," North Marion senior defender Cainan Sanchez said. "That says a lot for our team."

The Huskies were back in the state championship game for the first time since winning the 4A title in 2014.

It was a historic achievement for the Bulldogs, who matched Woodburn’s 2010-2012 squads with three consecutive state championships.

"I think we played well," second-year Woodburn coach Leroy Sanchez said. "We moved the ball well. We got into spaces. We pressured extremely well. We didn't allow North Marion to play their game."

To make a run at a fourth straight state crown, Woodburn will need a lot of underclassmen to step up. Seven of its starters this season were seniors.

But celebrating this year’s state championship is what matters most for now.

Woodburn was making its seventh state championship game appearance in nine years.

“We tell these boys it's bigger than us," said Sanchez, a 2002 Woodburn graduate and former soccer player for the Bulldogs. "It's about the community and the people that believe in what we're doing.

ghorowitz@StatesmanJournal.com or Twitter.com/ghorowitz