For the second year in a row, the La Salle boys varsity soccer team has taken home the 5A state championship, a feat they have only achieved once before in winning the 1998 and 1999 state titles back-to-back. 

On Saturday, Nov. 15, the Falcons faced off against Corvallis High School at 10:30 a.m. at Hillsboro Stadium in the final game of the state playoffs. After 75 minutes of a 0-0 tie, senior River Nichols scored a goal off a redirected free kick, earning the win with a final score of 1-0.  

“Once we scored, the noise was incredible,” senior Luka Skoro said. “Then we just had to lock in for the last four, five minutes.”

Nichols expressed that he wasn’t concerned about the outcome of the game as it went on, as the Falcons totaled 20 shots compared to 7 from Corvallis, and had two goals disallowed by officials — one by Skoro and the other by senior Cooper Eldon.  

“I knew we were going to score because we just had so many chances,” Nichols said.  

However, before the goal, tensions were high with the score being 0-0. This led to halftime speeches by varsity assistant coach David Leslie and varsity head coach Monty Hawkins. 

“Monty basically just gave us the breakdown of what needs to be better,” senior Declan O’Brien said. “Coach Dave was pretty fired up, and he pretty much just told everyone that … we need to have some energy.”

After this, the team was ready to play.

“We knew we had to put it home and win,” Skoro said. 

After the goal, coach Hawkins told the team to “play tight and just hold down the fort,” according to O’Brien.

For O’Brien, the state championship was especially meaningful, as this year the roster included 16 seniors.

“To do it with this group was pretty special just because it’s all my friends I’ve had throughout the entire four years of high school,” he said. 

Before the game, emotions were high. 

“I think everyone was excited and nervous,” senior Henry Phillipps said. “Especially the seniors, knowing that it’s their last game they’re going to play for La Salle.”

Going into this game, the Falcons had an overall record of 15-1-2, having finished second in league and ranked third in state. 

The Falcons’ playoff run wasn’t smooth, as they had to rely on late goals to advance in addition to frequent lead changes in games against Springfield High School and Centennial High School. 

In their league matchup against Centennial High School, La Salle drew 1-1, leading to the Eagles winning the title of Northwest Oregon Conference champions — one that has consecutively belonged to the Falcons for the past six seasons.

since league play. 

“After we lost to Jesuit, all of us were like ‘Yeah we’re not losing again,’” he said. And they did exactly that. 

Nichols attributed their success to the strength of the team and acknowledged that though the first playoff games were tough, he was glad that they won.

“We’re hard to beat, and that’s all that matters,” he said. “In a playoff game, the final score is all that counts.”

Both Nichols and O’Brien stated that last year, the pressure to win was far greater because it was many of the players’ first time being in the final. This year, however, the expectation was different for the team. 

“The pressure on individuals was definitely higher this year because last year we just had so much to rely on in the senior class,” Nichols said. 

He and Phillipps were confident in the team’s ability to win, despite that pressure.

“It’s just what we do,” Phillipps said. 

Looking to next year, O’Brien encouraged the team to be connected. 

“Believe in each other and play for each other,” he said. “Enjoy it because it ends pretty fast, and you’re going to remember it for the rest of your life.”

This story was originally published on The La Salle Falconer on November 19, 2025.