Redmond High goalkeeper Pedro Menchaca spins around after punching a shot away during the Mustangs 3-0 boys soccer victory over Woodinville High on Tuesday night at Pop Keeney Stadium in Bothell. Andy Nystrom, Redmond Reporter

Things are starting to gel for the Redmond High boys soccer team and coach Lacy Wilkinson especially liked what his Mustangs brought to the pitch on Tuesday night.

The now-3A KingCo Redmond squad strung together copious passes, charged after every ball and tallied three first-half goals in its 3-0 victory over a strong 4A KingCo Woodinville team at Pop Keeney Stadium in Bothell.

Sophomore midfielder Jacen Stein scored the first two goals and junior midfielder Mike Snook supplied the last one. Senior forward Jake Ferry and junior midfielder Victor Araujo had assists and tough senior goalkeepers Pedro Menchaca and Cole Benton kept Woodinvilles scoresheet clean.

We want to play a more possession-style of soccer, which requires players to use their heads as much as their feet. Last night, I could see them starting to get some of the things weve been working on for the last couple of weeks, said second-year coach Wilkinson, whos confident that with hard work, his players can make better decisions, play faster and execute more consistently as each game unfolds.

Redmond sports five returning varsity players in Ferry and fellow seniors Sergio Jimenez-Ramirez (forward) and Alex Kim (midfielder) along with junior midfielders Takanabu Suzuki and Kieran Wharton. Other key players are junior midifielders Kane Stark, Snook and Araujo and sophomore defender Reece Wiyrick.

Ferry and Jimenez-Ramirez are strong up front and the crew of midfielders are solid playmakers, a key component that their teammates soak up to step up their own games.

Its a team effort the whole way, Wilkinson said, and the players are driven to succeed.

The cool thing about the team this year is there are some outstanding players, but theres no showboaters. They work for each other and they play for each other, the coach said.

Fourth-year varsity player Jimenez-Ramirez said it should be an interesting season playing on the 3A KingCo scene.

This is our first time in 3A, so Im wondering how good the other teams are. Ive never seen them play, he said.

Two of the key attributes that Redmond has on its side, he added, is that we all get along together and we have a lot of good chemistry.

Ferry, a third-year varsity Stang and a team captain, said that the players are excited to work hard and produce a successful season.

Theres definitely a lot of potential with us, just a lot of great talent overall, he said.

As a captain, Ferry aims to try and keep that chemistry intact and cement that work ethic into the players all season long.

Read more:
Redmond's hat trick: ball possession, drive and chemistry - Redmond Reporter