OTHELLO — The Othello Huskies and the Prosser Mustangs faced off once again in the Play-in round of districts for a rematch of last year's game, however this time the Huskies were more determined than ever to win. After a dominant 80 minutes, Othello won 4-1 and is heading into the second round of the district tourney. 

"I'm super excited," said Huskies senior Brooklyn Hillman. "It's my senior year and we lost to them two years since I've been in high school. It's exciting seeing how we dominated the game 4-1." 

The first half started close and competitive between the two teams. After both teams earned goals early in the half, with Othello sophomore Aaliyah Van Cleve claiming the first for the Huskies, it became a race to see who could be the next to score.

Othello held possession for a good part of the latter minutes of the half and after a close attempt by Huskies junior Abcde Garza and a possession change, Huskies senior Brooklyn Hillman gained possession. Her first shot on goal was blocked by Prosser's goalkeeper, but Hillman stayed on it and followed through to drill the ball into the back of the net. 

"I didn't have that much of an angle, and I shot it and then the girl had blocked off her knees," said Hillman. "I cut back in, shot with my left and got top bins." 

Going into halftime, the game sat 2-1 in favor of Othello. 

The Huskies carried their momentum into the second half and kept pressure on Prosser's side of the field. About 13 minutes into the half, Van Cleve was passed the all deep down field and rushed in to score a goal from the far side of the five-yard line. 

Van Cleve almost followed up with another kick on the following possession but was blocked by Prosser's goalkeeper. The shot on goal caused a minor injury check in on the Mustangs' goalie, but she was patched up and ready to get back on defense. 

It continued to be all Othello for the majority of the half, which eventually led to Hillman sealing the game with a penalty kick to give the Huskies a 4-1 victory. 

"Coming off a big win, scoring two goals, it's really exciting," said Hillman. "I'm really hyped for Tuesday." 

The senior said her entire mindset was on the Huskies earning a win Saturday. 

"I could barely even sleep thinking about the game," she said. 

For Huskies Head Coach Victor Quiroz, this winning mindset was spread throughout the entire team as they looked to face Prosser in the first round for the third time in four years.  

"I was like, 'We've got to put them away this time,'" said Quiroz. 

The coach said Saturday's win truly speaks volumes to who each of the Huskies are as players. Even after a close loss to East Valley Tuesday evening, the turned things around and stayed determined to earn a victory. 

"Playoffs come around and it's a different season," he said. "We've got to play our best game and it showed in all areas, our defensive, our mid(field) was dominating real well and then our strikers were finishing at the top. It was a total team effort on their part. 

The highlight for the coach was Othello's ability to finish throughout the game as Van Cleve and Hillman, the Huskies two wings, kept attacking and scored goals to keep the team thriving. 

"Aaliyah's been dominating all year and she showed it today," said Quiroz. "(Hillman), she just stuck with the ball and put it in. I was super happy for her because she's been fighting for goals this year and to make two in an important game like this, it's super special for her." 

He said leadership shown by Hillman during Saturday's game highlights how important her efforts have been to the program. 

"She's the heart and soul of this team," said the coach. "Super passionate about this team, super passionate about the game and you saw it today sticking with that ball." 

Hillman said this victory came from all the team's hard work at practice and their big takeaway for the afternoon was they have what it takes to be a top contender in the league. As she and her teammates prepare to head for the second round of districts for the first time in the senior's career, everyone is feeling ready to compete. 

"I'm just really excited to see how far we can go," said Hillman. "(Since) we got this game and say we win the next one, we have a chance. Either way, we have a chance to go far." 

With the next round of postseason quickly approaching, Quiroz said this game shows how good the Huskies actually are and that they can compete. Close games throughout the season have gone either way for the Huskies and each experience has helped prepare the team for playoffs. 

"We're starting to click at the right moment," said the coach. "This game's going to get their confidence going. Scoring four goals, it just builds a lot more confidence going forward to Ephrata." 

The Huskies prepare for the next round of districts as they head on the road to face the Ephrata Tigers Tuesday at 5 p.m. 

BOX SCORE 

PSSR: 1-0: 1 

OTHL: 2-2: 4 

    Brooklyn Hillman, a senior for Othello, looks for an opening as she makes her way towards her first goal of the day against Prosser.
  

    Aaliyah Van Cleve, a sophomore from the Huskies, rushes with the ball down the field as she prepares to kick her second goal of the afternoon.
  

    Othello junior Khloe Valdez gains possession of the ball and works down field as her teammate Piper Uebelacker watches on.
  

    Huskies sophomore Abbie Sorenson looks downfield as she works to pass to an open teammate Saturday afternoon.
  

    Calley Sly, a freshman from the Huskies, moves the ball along the sideline late in Saturday's game against Prosser.