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TENINO — The possibility of starting a team and seeing it end less than six months later was more than real for the Onalaska High School boys soccer team.
On election night – April 22 – the Onalaska School District Educational Programs and Operation Replacement Levy was on the ballot. It was the second time the district put a new levy up to replace its current one that expires at the end of this year.
The district wanted to have athletics and other entities fully funded plus collect nearly $2 million in property taxes by year one.
When the dust settled, the district was behind 192 votes. The margin was over 200 votes a day later.
And in the midst of it all, the Loggers were still trying to find their first win of the season.
“In my pregame speech, I told them to leave it all on the pitch,” head coach Luis Magana said at the time. “Play like this could be your last games of high school soccer.”
Fast forward to Thursday night and the future of the program remains on an upward trajectory.
Onalaska is full steam ahead for the 2026 spring campaign and summer scrimmages, like Thursday’s 7-5 win over Tenino at Tenino High School, was another step in the right direction for a roster that will have upperclassmen.
Damian Carona netted three goals in a match that went four periods of 20 minutes each. The Valentine brothers of Easton and Brody plus Jacob Silva also found the back of the net once.
“I want players to understand their tendencies,” Magana said. “Play organized soccer.”
Magana stated one of the reasons why the Loggers get to play more matches in the Class 1A Trico League is due to a pay cut coaches took. Which he was more than willing to do.
Also the girls coach for Centralia and a longtime presence on the sideline, Magana isn’t willing to give it up just yet.
“I’m fully invested in this team,” he said. “Giving these guys opportunities. We’ve been pretty busy. I love anything about soccer and I’m enjoying what I’m doing. Just putting in the work, dedicating the time for them, motivates them to be committed to the team.”
It took until the third-to-last match of the 2025 season for Onalaska to snatch a victory. Even in contests the second time through the league, the final margin was closer.
Through the summer months, the top priority for the Loggers is continuing to build chemistry on the pitch. Magana made note to highlight goalie Christofer James – one of the few bright spots from last year – as well as Angel Cerceda and Adrian Garcia.
An emphasis has been made on 1-2 passes through the midfield to set up the strikers.
“Let’s work on passing and moving,” Magana said.
Onalaska scored just before the final whistle at the end of the second period and rolled that into the final two periods with four goals. It was as informal of a scrimmage could be when Easton Valentine’s goal was a laser that zipped past Tenino head coach Trevor Fetbrandt, who was playing goalie in the fourth.
Still, to see a victory in July is what Magana hopes can translate to victories in March, April and potentially deep into May.
“I just want to get the community excited and get involved,” he said. “Getting the younger students excited, that’s how I’m approaching it.”
