HOWARDON, Iowa (KCAU) – History was made in Hawarden on May 22, as the West Sioux boys soccer team punched its ticket to the IHSAA State Tournament for the first time in program history. It was a memorable moment for Falcons past and present, but the team is determined to achieve more victories in Des Moines.
Every time the bell rings, West Sioux will have a home win.
“We're on home soil and every time we win the bell rings,” West Sioux coach Steve Topete said.
Nowhere was that sound louder than on May 22, when the Falcons defeated Underwood, 3-1, in the Class 1A semistate final to clinch the team's first-ever state tournament appearance.
“It's a great accomplishment to be here,” West Sioux sophomore forward Jonathan Flores-Topete said. “We've been practicing hard all year for this and all that hard work has paid off.”
“It feels great. This is something we've all been training for. We've worked hard for this with morning lifting and plyometrics. This is really great for us, for our program and for the community,” added Steve Topete.
As the Falcons soared where no one had flown before, former players reached out to celebrate the milestone, while some got to experience it firsthand.
“As a former player here at West Sioux, that was the goal I wanted. That was the goal a lot of these players' brothers and uncles wanted. Seeing that crowd get emotional, I got emotional, too,” Steve Topete recalled.
Those emotions are what have helped get the program this far — treating practice like a game and remaining competitive in every aspect — but it's the years of playing together from a young age that have made this season special from the start.
“We have good chemistry with each other, so we know how to play,” West Sioux senior defender Omar Rivera said, “It's easier because we communicate in a different language. We all work hard on each other to get better.”
Veteran experience from a young group, it's hard to believe there are only three seniors on the team's varsity roster.
“They just play 80 minutes … all 80 minutes. They have that energy,” Steve Topete said.
And as West Sioux heads into its first-ever state quarterfinal tomorrow, they know what it takes to make history, hoping to write their best chapter on the biggest stage in Des Moines.
“We just have to stay connected, keep playing as a family like it's a normal game,” Jonathan Flores Topete said.
“Anything can happen in the state tournament. We're going to come prepared, not take our breath away, play the full 80 minutes and hopefully come out with a win when we get there,” Steve Topete said.
Tomorrow, May 29, the sixth-seeded West Sioux will face third-seeded North Fayette Valley in the Class 1A state quarterfinals.. Kickoff at Cowney Soccer Park in Des Moines is scheduled for 4:20 p.m.
