The Cashmere Bulldogs boys soccer team opened District Tournament play in dominant fashion Tuesday night, blanking the visiting Granger Spartans 5-0 in a first-round loser-out match. As the South’s #1 seed and SCAC regular season champions, the Bulldogs controlled the match from the opening whistle and never looked back.

Cashmere set the tone early, applying constant pressure in the first 10 minutes before breaking through midway in the first half. In the 25th minute, Ivan Gonzalez-Hurtado connected with Ian McFadden for the opening goal. Just a minute later, Gonzalez-Hurtado struck again with a perfectly placed assist to senior Alejandro Serna Rojas, doubling the Bulldogs’ lead to 2-0.

The offensive surge continued in the 35th minute when JJ Herrera found Cooper Smith inside the box for another Cashmere goal, sending the Bulldogs into halftime with a commanding 3-0 advantage.

Cashmere didn’t ease up after the break. In the 56th minute, Gonzalez-Hurtado converted a penalty kick to extend the lead, and two minutes later Serna Rojas netted his second goal of the night to cap the scoring at 5-0.

Defensively, the Bulldogs were just as impressive. Ranique Allen recorded another shutout, sharing time in goal with freshman Grant Perkins in the second half. The back line—led by Cooper Hauck, McFadden, Grey Jacobson, and Claudio Parra—was rock solid throughout, helping Cashmere secure its fifth shutout in the last six matches.  Gonzalez-Hurtado and Ethan Theiss spurred the Bulldog offensive attack.  

With the win, the Bulldogs improve to 13-2-1 on the season and move one step closer to a state berth.

Cashmere will host a quarterfinal matchup Thursday night against the Wahluke Warriors, the South’s #5 seed. Kickoff is set for 6:00 p.m. at Cashmere Soccer Field, with a trip to the 1A State Tournament on the line.