The Lake Washington Kangaroos were brought to glory as they made history in the 3A state championship game on Saturday, May 25th. They went head to head against the Garfield Bulldogs and brought home their first ever boys state soccer trophy after fighting to win 1-0 in what was a tough and intense battle.
The game was tight between the two powerhouse teams across the whole 90 minutes, as both sides had great amounts of opportunity as well as impressive defense. Lake Washington junior Dillon Davis became the star of the game as he sealed the first and only goal of the entire game in the 25th minute.
“That whole five minutes [after scoring] did not feel real,” Davis told the Seattle Times. “The goal, I didn’t even see it. I just felt it. It’s just something you dream about the day before. It’s something that you wish for, something that you focus on during pre-games and everything. But to have that happen to me, it just doesn’t feel real.”
The Bulldogs responded to the set back began to step up and caused some panic and uneasiness for the Kangs. Garfield senior Tate McDonald had many shots on goal but was unable to get one in the back of the net.
Hearts were pounding and fans were on the edge of their seats until the final whistle blew, leaving the Kangs to run onto the field and celebrate their momentous win. All their hard work paying off, the Lake Washington Kangaroos became the champions of the 3A state soccer title. For Garfield, this tough loss brought heartache upon their players after putting in so much work and effort into their season.
“We’ve never been here before,” coach Michael Adamik said. “This is uncharted territory. I wouldn’t be here without them. I’m honestly speechless. I could not be happier for them, especially. They absolutely deserve to be here, and I think we earned it.”
The Kangs ended their season 15-2-3 and the Bulldogs 15-7-3. The match was an exceptional way to end such a successful ’24 season, and the Lake Washington Kangaroos will undoubtedly remember this moment for many years to come.
