The Hillcrest Academy Raven soccer team scored an impressive 9-0 win over Wapello Friday in Kalona. The Raven lead was 4-0 at half and the home team put a handful more on the board in the second half. Hillcrest won shots on goal 23-2 and had 10 corner kicks. Six different Ravens scored in the match including a hat trick from Angel Sambrano, his fourth, fifth and sixth strikes of the season. Jaxson Brokaw had two goals and Isaac Birky, Mateo Rodridguez-Yoder, Beckett Slabaugh and Calvin Meller one goal each. Lincoln Miller and Abe Widmer had two assists each. Birky, Meller, Kale Bailey and Brendan Neuschwander each had an assist. It was a two-save clean sheet for keeper Garrett Bontrager. After the match, seniors Sambrano and Miller talked with KCII Sports about the win.

Miller said, “(Defensively) it’s been about center-mids stopping balls and not giving them a chance to play balls over our defensive line. Once we get to the defensive line, we’re looking to contain the threats and get the ball up and out. It’s fun to see a lot of guys that don’t get a lot of minutes get in. It’s fun to see a lot of guys that don’t score, score goals. When you have nine goals, you’re seeing a lot of different types of goals. The Isaac Birky header was incredible to watch. Really fun!”

Sambrano continued, “(Offensively), it’s like my coaches said. It’s never one man that carries a team. It’s a team sport. I think it’s about connecting passes, getting good passes in and cross and with those we can get opportunities to score. Of my three (goals), I would say the last one. It feels like I was pretty calm. I was able to get a great pass from Cavlin (Meller). Great communication! I told him to pass in front of me, he did just what I asked and it was a goal.”

The victory is the second-in-a-row for Hillcrest who is now 4-7. Wapello is winless in 10 tries.