Heritage boys soccer falls to Mount Vernon 1-0 in 3A state playoffs
May 22-PURDY - Though a first state playoff victory for Heritage boys soccer remains elusive, senior captain Omar Ramirez believes those following him won't have to wait long.
The Timberwolves' season ended Friday with a 1-0 loss to Mount Vernon in the round of 16 of the 3A state playoffs.
It brought an end to the high school careers of a Heritage senior class that has elevated the program.
This year's nine seniors won a fourth consecutive 3A Greater St. Helens League title. As juniors, they clinched the program's first state berth and won its first bi-district title.
After a season that included a district title and an unbeaten record until Friday, Ramirez believes he and his fellow seniors have set future teams up for success.
"I want them to go past the first round, go win a title now," Ramirez said. "That's what I want to happen."
That doesn't mean Friday's loss at Roy Anderson Field near Gig Harbor wasn't bitterly disappointing for Heritage. The No. 5 seed Timberwolves (16-1-2) dominated much of the possession and had several high-quality scoring chances.
But No. 12 seed Mount Vernon (15-2-1) caught Heritage with a counterattack 10 minutes before halftime. Angel Reyes-Villavicencio chipped the ball past Heritage goalkeeper Eli Schwenker for the game's lone goal.
Heritage, on the other hand, couldn't cash in on several first-half chances. Mount Vernon goalkeeper Lucas Melnik blocked a shot by Aldo Herrera Malvaez from close range shortly before making a diving fingertip save on a 25-yard shot from Ramirez.
Then, a cross by Brian Espejo was just out of reach of Seraphim Venger at the goal mouth. Ramirez followed with a dangerous free kick that narrowly sailed over the crossbar and Venger had a close-range shot saved by a sprawling Melnik .
Even in the match's final seconds, Melnik secured a last-gasp shot that nearly dipped under the crossbar.
"It's just one of those days in the game where you can do everything but the right thing at the end," Ramirez said. "It's not getting the puzzle right."
Though a state playoff victory remains to be written into Heritage history, the Timberwolves have rewritten the perception of the program.
"When we played Camas or Union, they didn't think of us as a crappy team anymore," Ramirez said. "They saw us as a team where it was going to be a dogfight every time they play us."
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This story was originally published May 23, 2026 at 7:05 AM.