Sanchez Returns with Three-Goal Outing to Lift East Mountain Over Bosque

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Josh Sanchez returned to the lineup and took over Thursday, recording a hat trick to lift the East Mountain Timberwolves to a 3-1 victory over Bosque at Mesa Del Sol.

East Mountain (13-3, 4-2 District 1-3A) solidified its hold on second place in the district standings behind Sanchez’s offensive display. The forward struck twice in the opening half, including a strike into the upper corner, before burying a second-half insurance goal to keep the Bobcats (6-9, 1-5) at bay.

After controlling the opening five minutes, the Timberwolves weathered a push from Bosque before re-establishing command through sustained possession and quick ball movement.

“The big piece is just finding our pace and momentum again,” East Mountain head coach Colton Oord said. “And being able to recognize when we stop playing our game and we stop possessing, we start forcing balls because we recognize that we can outrun people. Having the maturity and the recognition to realize that on the pitch, slow the game down, and play it again and connect made the difference.”

Oord noted a key second-half sequence where East Mountain strung together over a dozen passes through the midfield to flip field position and dictate tempo. Having Sanchez back in form finished off the effort.

“He definitely brings a big threat,” Oord said of Sanchez. “That speed’s killer, but he’s also able to finish. On his first goal, he put it upper 90 and had no issue there. It’s not always just tap-ins and him running through. He’s got the skills to outmuscle some guys too, win a ball, and go from there. He’s a super dynamic player.”

With the win, East Mountain remains firmly in second place in District 1-3A behind league-leading Sandia Prep.

The Timberwolves hit the road for their next two district matches, traveling to face Sandia Prep on Oct. 13 at 3 p.m., followed by an away tilt at Cottonwood Classical Prep on Oct. 15 at 3 p.m.