On Oct. 9, the Ida B. Wells Guardians men’s soccer team defeated the Grant Generals 4-1. The Guardians quickly jumped to a 3-0 lead in the first half, with a fourth goal in the second half. This gave Jaden Igarta, senior, yet another hat trick for the season. The Generals only scored one goal near the end of the game.

In the 12 minute, Cole Aman, senior, quickly got past The Generals’ defense for a goal with a good ball from the midfield. The Guardians’ defense held The Generals back, while also keeping their forwards offside any chance they got, preventing The Generals from scoring. A Grant player was sent off with an instant red card for using insulting language towards a referee, giving The Guardians an advantage early on. 

Igarta scored two goals in quick succession during the 33 and 37 minutes, instantly dropping the Grant players’ morale and effectively stealing the game in the first half. The Guardians were able to move the ball past The Generals’ defenders numerous times.

A third goal for Igarta in the 58 minute earned him the hat trick and put The Guardians in a 4-0 lead. One goal from The Generals late in the game wasn’t enough for them to have a chance at a comeback, and The Guardians finished them off with a less aggressive approach to run out the clock.

The Guardians are currently #13 in the state, according to OSAA’s rankings. With only three games left in the season, The Guardians are almost guaranteed to make the playoffs and have a good chance of going a long way in the bracket. Their next home game is against Cleveland on Oct. 19, at 7 pm. You can find their full schedule on the OSAA website, or on their Instagram page @ibwhs_menssoccer.