Five-Goal First Half Powers Timberwolves Past Oak Grove in Senior Finale

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A four-goal explosion in the opening half powered the East Mountain boys soccer team to a 5-1 victory over Oak Grove Classical Academy on Thursday at Mesa del Sol, adding another victory to the Timberwolves’ record-setting campaign.

Two days after breaking the program’s single-season wins record with a 4-1 decision over Rehoboth Christian on Tuesday, fourth-ranked East Mountain pushed its historic mark to 16-4 overall (6-3 District 1-3A) in the regular-season finale under head coach Colton Oord.

The Timberwolves wasted little time dictating the tempo from the opening whistle. Attacking directly into Oak Grove’s defensive third, East Mountain found the back of the net four times before the break, getting goals from Josh Sanchez, Carter Betonie, Zavier Hawkins, and Noah Gomez.

Holding a 4-0 cushion at halftime, East Mountain pivoted to a possession-oriented game over the final 40 minutes to close out the Owls (7-8-3, 1-5-2 District 1-3A).

Following the final horn, teammates, coaches, parents, and fans gathered on the pitch to honor six graduating seniors playing in their final regular-season home contest: Adam Richardson, Kenner Webb, Gomez, Reed Stuehrenberg, Betonie, and Luis Varela.

“First half tonight, we played really direct, and then we turned into playing possession,” Oord said. “It’s a really fun group to work with.”

Oord pointed directly to the veteran core that came into the program alongside him four years ago as the driving force behind the program-best season.

“This has been our four years together, a lot of big pieces,” Oord said. “Our back line is three seniors — Adam and Reed, they clean up a lot of stuff working backwards, supporting the freshman goalkeeper and helping him learn the ropes along the way.”

The senior flexibility showed up again Thursday, with Betonie moving into the starting lineup to finish a goal and Varela neutralizing adjustments on the left side.

“Just a super coachable group from their first year, being willing to play the system,” Oord said.

East Mountain now turns its attention to the postseason. The New Mexico Activities Association is scheduled to release the official state tournament playoff brackets on Sunday. With 15 victories and a top-four statewide ranking in Class A-3A, Oord believes the resume warrants an opening-round home match.

“I think we’ll get a top-four spot on Sunday,” Oord said. “We’ve only lost one match on this grass. Let’s just keep it going.”