The Wildcats were game, but it was all Kondors in the pouring rain, as Kwalikum Secondary School’s senior boys soccer team rolled to a 5-0 win over Wellington in their regular season home opener.
Over-matched but no less determined, the Nanaimo Wildcats spent the majority of the game on their half as the Kondors knocked the ball around. The game was played at QBMS because all the other fields in the area were under water.
KSS opened the regular season the week before with a 5-1 road win over NDSS Islanders, and were coming off a second place finish at the Carihi tournament where they went 3-1.
Against the Wildcats, Shane Gayton paced KSS with his first two goals of the season, and Darien Atkinsen, Jesse Binnersley and Austin Phye added singles. Matt Griffith bagged the bagel in net.
Evan Stefanek is back anchoring the Kondors’ defence and Santiago Bouyra “has inspired the front end with his hard work.
“We’re started off scrambly but we’re getting used to each other and starting to play some good soccer,” said Kondors’ head coach Butch Gayton.
The win lifts the Kondors to 2-0 and has them sitting tops in their five-team pool, which is part of the nine team AA Mid-Island league.
This is the first season for the Kondors under the auspices of the newly-created KSS Centre for Soccer Excellence.
“Oh yeah. We’re loaded up with Grade 12 talent,” Gayton said when asked if the lads are looking forward to the new season, which for many on the side will be their final year of high school soccer. “We were disappointed not making it to provincials last year and we want to get back on that bus. We’re keen, and we’re hungry.”
GAME ON: The Senior Kondors are in Parksville today (Tuesday) for a darby against the Ballenas Whalers. Game time is 3:30 p.m.
IN JR. BOYS soccer action, the young Kondors are also rolling.
“They’re a very good group of players,” said Gayton, who’s coaching both teams this yea. “We’ve got 21 kids out which is a great number and they’re also starting to come into form.
The Kondors finished first at a five-team tourney at Carihi Sept. 25, and opened their regular season on the road with a 5-0 win over the Ladysmith 49ers. KSS hosted Wellington in their home opener Monday (score unavailable at press time).
