Thomas Jefferson scored early and fended off Mount Rainier the rest of the way for a 1-0 win over the Rams Friday.

Mount Rainier head coach Zach Taylor felt good about the match against the perenially powerful Raiders in spite of the loss, however.
"It was a good game," said Taylor, whose team fell to a hard luck 1-7-4 in South Puget Sound League North Division action. "Our record absolutely does not reflect the character of this team. They're starting to play hard and starting to see results."

TJ, meanwhile, ran its record to 8-2-1.

Raider head coach Dave Hanson -- a Mount Rainier graduate and former Rams coach -- was not particularly happy.

"We're not playing good ball," he said. "We lost to Kentwood and Tahoma, and we're doing it with everyone on the team. I don't think our level of play is where it needs to be."

Friday's match at Federal Way Memorial Field was a back-and-forth physical affair, but Thomas Jefferson was the only team to find the back of the net for a goal.

Senior midfielder/defender Jacob Thoreson did the honors with 24:28 showing on the first half clock, taking a corner kick from junior midfielder/forward Luis Osornio -- who just entered the game -- and heading it on in.

Junior midfielder Matthew Cruz almost drilled in a hot shot from up close four minutes later that was caught, and Isaac Gettis of the Rams almost nailed a similar shot with 14:20 to play in the first half.
Osornio almost connected with Thoreson on another corner kick with 1:30 to go before halftime, only this time Thoreson's header just missed to the left.

The near misses piled up for both teams in the second half, when TJ had three more corner kicks to the two of Mount Rainier.
Mount Rainier's last close call came with 1:00 remaining, but Jake Sullivan of the Raiders stole the ball and the clock wound down from there.

TJ received a hardy round of applause for the win, then the Mount Rainier fans did the same for their players as they met with Taylor after the loss.

"Our team has a lot of potential and we can be dangerous," Taylor said.
Taylor credited a large part of his team's improved play in the game to a switch in positions for senior Armando Castillo.

"We put a defender up front, and that's why we had a lot of energy going forward," Taylor said.

"I usually play defense, but he decided to put me on the front line," Castillo said. "It was kind of new to me. I'd like to keep bringing that energy to the team."

Mount Rainier visits Kentlake for a 5:30 p.m. match at French Field on Tuesday, May 1 before finishing up the regular season at home at Highline Stadium against Auburn-Riverside at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, May 3.
TJ is at Auburn at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 28 and at Tahoma at the same time Tuesday. The Raiders host Kentlake at 7:30 p.m. Friday.