Opinion by Ray Wolf

Alright, it might be a bit much to label the Mt. Shasta Bears a soccer “dynasty,” but only a little bit.

Consider this: the Bears wrapped up the Shasta Cascade League post season tournament championship today with a 5-2 thumping of the Fall River Bulldogs. They also registered their third straight SCL regular season championship.

Want more? Okay, how about a 26-3-2 record in SCL play over the past three years. Make it the past four years and you get a record of 32-5-4, three championships, and a second place finish. Add in the two SCL tourney wins and it becomes 34-5-4.

Maybe they are a dynasty, at least in the SCL. I don’t think Fall River would argue.

The Bulldogs put up a good fight in the championship game, but the Bears simply overpowered the visitors.

The Bears narrowly missed scoring five minutes into the match, when Zack Morris bounced a shot off the crossbar. A minute later they were on the board, when Liam O’Hara blasted a shot through the Fall River keeper’s hands. The assist went to Morris.

John Holst picked up his first of three goals at the 20-minute mark when the Bulldog keeper couldn’t control a shot by Morris, and Holst slid in a tough angle shot. The score remained 2-0 going into half time.

It looked like the Bears would add another goal 10 minutes into the second half, when Andrew Campbell broke in all alone on goal. Only a fantastic save by the Fall River keeper prevented the score. Fall River found the back of the net a minute later on a goal by Edgar Alvarez off a direct kick.

The Bulldogs narrowly missed a tying goal a few minutes later, when a shot went just over the crossbar. The Bears then regained their two goal advantage on a highlight reel effort. Holst drove toward the Fall River goal, with a Bulldog defender draped all over him, and somehow managed to get off a shot that moved from right to left, finding the left corner of the net, making it 3-1. Sam Wooten was credited with the assist.

Fall River cut the lead to one goal at the 73-minute mark, when Pedro Mendoza banged home a rebound off of a corner kick, making the score 3-2.

If the Bulldogs were entertaining thoughts of a comeback, they were dashed in just two minutes. Andrew Campbell took a pass from Allison Titus and floated a shot up and over the Bulldog keeper from about 22 yards out, extending the Bears’ lead to 4-2.

With about six minutes left to play, Holst completed the hat trick when he knocked in a rebound of a Morris shot off the crossbar, for a final score of 5-2. Morris had three assists in the match.

The Bears finished the season with an overall record of 11-1. And, if you think the “dynasty” might end this year, think again. They’ll be loaded and looking for their fourth straight SCL crown next season.