Disclaimer: Klahowya’s lacrosse team includes players from Central Kitsap High School, Olympic High School, and Klahowya Secondary School.

The game opened with Klahowya’s player Kellan Powers (#21) scoring the first goal, putting the home team on the board early in the game. South Kitsap answered shortly after with a goal, tying the score 1-1 by the end of the first quarter.

In the second quarter, South Kitsap briefly took the lead with another goal. However, Klahowya quickly replied when Jackson Whitmer (#7) found the net, resulting in a halftime tie at 2-2.

Klahowya came out strong in the third quarter when Demitrious Lupekha (#14) scored two back-to-back goals, giving Klahowya a 4-2 advantage. South Kitsap managed to score one more goal late in the third quarter, which left Klahowya in the lead 4-3 heading into the final quarter.

At the start of the fourth quarter, South Kitsap’s offense stepped up. They were able to work around Klahowya’s defense as a team and score two unanswered goals. Klahowya was held scoreless for the rest of the game, securing a 5-4 win for South Kitsap.

“Our team’s overall game was very solid,” midfielder Laith Alagba-Green said. “The main reason we lost is because our main scoring offensive men got taken out of the game. We also need to play defensively without getting a lot of fouls.”

Both teams played strong defense through limited scoring chances and keeping the game close from start to finish. South Kitsap’s late push proved just enough to earn them a win in a game that could have gone either way.