Mount Rainier Rams head coach Jerry Capadanno, had his girls soccer team going quickly toward another super season, like four years ago when they were fourth in 3A state. They made the round of 16 with a 2-0 win over the Shelton Lady Highclimbers at Sound Sound Stadium in Lacey in a bi-district match Saturday, Nov. 3.

"We've played so well since the Lindbergh game," said Rams head coach Jerry Capodanno. "Just got to keep going."

The Rams did lose, 6-0, to Everett, in the game-after Shelton played Wednesday, Nov. 7 on the road, but that does not dampen a good postseason making season for Capadanno and the Rams.

"Tell the kids congratulations. It's not me. I am just here as a supervisor," said Capadanno, who could also be heard, and, seen, raising his hands up and clapping and saying, "Thank you for coming down here, parents, and everyone."

But it is him.

This team was not nearly as deep as Kennedy yet played them to two close games, a 3-1 loss with the third Kennedy goal scored late in the game and the second game went into penalty kicks, favoring Kennedy in the end, 2-1. Kennedy is now in the quarterfinals at state, to note, and many list them as a favorite besides Issaquah whom they played Saturday (after press time).

So, yeah, applause all you want for Capadanno's work this season.

The most applause for the Rams victories off the field is him, the most applause for on the field is Sarah Martinez -- she is highly above every other Rams player out there, not to mention just about every other player in the state, 3A and 4A. She just makes so much happen out there. And, for good reason. She's going to be a freshman at the University of Washington after this season. Getting recruited to go there says some things.

Most of all, maybe it says what she does with the ball, passing it and scoring it. Martinez, a three-sport star at Mount Rainier, made 14 assists and scored 15 goals. But to watch her play, it is the passing that she did so well in this game although she had a hand in both scores on Shelton.

The first goal was scored by Jarin Storrs, with the goal coming after a hard shot from Martinez that was handled uncleanly and Storrs was there to knock in the rebound.

That made it 1-0 one minute into the first half against Shelton.

The Rams then continued to quickly move the ball around the slower-footed foe. Martinez' passing nearly got her team a goal in the 20th minute, a head flick at the top of the 18-yard box as Becky Harris ran onto it. But it was called offsides. In the 30th minute, Martinez again headed the ball into the 18-yard box before freshman Calli Fuchigami made a shot near-post wide.

What about Sarah, coach?

"Sarah," said Capadanno, pausing. "She's a professional player. She is going to the UW but she doesn't brag about it. I told Sarah that it won't be easy there."

Capadanno treats all these Rams young ladies as if they were his own daughters. It just shows in the unselfish play that is going on all over the field, but especially from Martinez, who could probably dribble through players on other teams like cones and score at will. But she has not done that. The scoring distributed among many players proves that. Shelby Blair, a senior forward, has five goals, four assists. Clarissa Strayer, a freshman forward, scored four goals to go with four assists, and Fuchigami, a forward, made four goals, two assists.

"He keeps us together," said Martinez. "His dedication to the game keeps us all on our toes. We will be like all flat and then we hear his voice and we are pumped."

The Rams scored it's second goal on a shot from Blair inside the 18-yard box with three minutes left before halftime.

The score was 2-0 at that point and Capadanno could see things well in hand and took out Martinez some of the second half before Shelton proved that with her out it would be closer, getting a couple shots off.

But Martinez came back and the flow quickly reversed to the Rams' favor.

But Martinez wants none of that talk.

Your teammates?

"That's what this team is about," said Martinez. "It's not Brandi (Brown), not Becky (Harris), not Chanel (Fuchigami). Anyone can play. No one says , "No she shouldn't play on the left side."

Or, "She can't mark that player" or "has the skill of the player presently playing."

Capadanno doesn't care, he wants to do things that are best for the girls.

"We look at it as fresh legs because any of us, freshmen to seniors, can do the job," said Martinez.

No more goals were scored by the Rams in the second half. But two or three Rams shots were close, including a couple hitting the post on one offensive sequence inside the 18-yard box, with 10 minutes left in the second half. A couple other shots were close, including a near-post shot by Strayer with two minutes left. .

But if you know Capadanno, you know he will be right there at the start of next season helping the next team of young ladies get exactly back where they just got -- to being one of the top 16 3A teams in the state.