The Cascade Champions scored less than three minutes into the game and added two other first half goals to take control as the Champions defeated the Community Vikings 5-1 in the finals of the District 6-A soccer tournament Monday.
Pablo Sola connected on the first of his three goals with 37:20 remaining in the first half as the Champions took a 1-0 lead.
With the Champs controlling field position for most of the half, Cascade took advantage of another scoring opportunity and upped its lead to 2-0 as Sola scored with 29:30 remaining.
The Champions made it 3-0 and completed the first half scoring as Drake Hodge found the back of the net with 16:37 left.
"We wanted to keep pressure on the offensive end," Coach Glenn Tidwell of the Champions said. "Once we settled in and kept it on their end, it was a little more comfortable."
"It was important to try to take it to them early," Coach Jesse Cooper of the Vikings said. "We had some mistakes that led to their goals and didn't play as well on defense as we have in the last couple of games."
The Vikings got a big boost four minutes into the second half as Villamar Anica stopped a Champion penalty kick to keep the score at 3-0.
"We seemed to come alive when Villamar had his PK save," Cooper said.  "It kind of lit a fire under us."
The Champs were able to add to their lead with 27:27 left as Sam Bossam rebounded the ball into the goal to give Cascade a 4-0 lead.
Sola completed the hat trick by connecting on a penalty kick with 10:09 remaining to put the Champions up 5-0.
The Vikings continued to battle and lighted up the scoreboard a minute later as Ramon Hernandez put the ball into the goal off a corner kick from Shane DeLeon to cut the Cascade lead to 5-1 and end the scoring for the game.
With the win, Cascade will host an opening round game of the Region 3-A tournament next week against the loser of the District 5-A final between Chattanooga School of the Arts and Sciences and Tyner Academy while Community will travel to the CSAS versus Tyner winner.  
"Our goal is to keep winning and stay at home," Tidwell said. "The way the region falls this year, as long as we win, we'll play right here and wouldn't be on the road until we go to Siegel."
"The goal is one game at a time but play at home," Tidwell added.      
Both teams were well-represented as District 6-A awards were presented after the game. 
Hodge, Sola, Carlos Velasquez, and Ivan Draine of the Champions and Randy Anica, Hernandez and DeLeon of the Vikings were named to the Regular Season All-District team. 
Nick Harris, Hodge, Stone Maldonado, and Bossam of Cascade and Villamar Anica, Nicholas Garcia, and Jacob Graham of Community were named to the All-Tournament team.
Randy Anica of the Vikings was named the District 6-A Offensive Player of the Year while Hayden Dowell of the Champions was selected as the Defensive Player of the Year. 
Hodge of the Champs was named the District 6-A Most Valuable Player and Tidwell was named as Coach of the Year.
 
                                                          
Community  0  1 — 1
Cascade      3  2 — 5
 
First Half
Cas – Pablo Sola goal (37:20)
Cas – Sola goal (29:30)
Cas – Drake Hodge goal (16:37)
 
Second Half
Cas – Sam Bossam goal (27:27)
Cas – Sola penalty kick (10:09)
Com – Ramon Hernandez goal from Shane DeLeon goal (9:05)