WORTHINGTON -- For the first 11 minutes and 46 seconds Friday night, Worthington couldn't buy a goal -- partly because Trojan forwards Naakoo Omot and Rudy Ramirez were called offsides four times.
Not that you could blame them for being eager. It was the first game of the year, after all.
"We just wanted to score that goal," said Ramirez.
They eventually did.
Omot found the net off a Ramirez assist before the 12-minute mark, and the floodgates opened on Central Minnesota Christian goalie David Vanderhooft.
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Ramirez, Omot and midfielder Jario Mendoza scored two goals apiece and Ramirez added two assists as Worthington trounced CMC 8-0 in the Trojans' first boy's soccer game of the season Friday.
The referees were waving the flags quite often in the game's opening minutes.
Omot and Ramirez were able to get good jumps on CMC's defenders, but most times they were just a little too far out in front of the ball.
"We definitely want to work on that a little bit," Ramirez said. "Talking up front and making sure we're on-sides.
"We'd like to think our speed had something to do with it, too," he added with a grin.
"The guy who's coming up from behind needs to communicate," junior midfielder Juan Flores said. "We need to be talking more."
Offsides penalties aside, everything else seemed to be clicking with head coach Vilath Lovan's squad.
Meanwhile, clean opportunities were few and far between for CMC.
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The Trojans outshot the Bluejays 33-9.
Although it didn't show on the scoreboard, CMC's Vanderhooft played relatively well between the posts, saving 25 of those 33 shots. He turned away the first four on-target Trojan attempts.
But he had little support, and at least three of the goals were rebounds off of Vanderhooft's deflections. WHS was able to keep a constant barrage coming at the junior goalie.
At the 16 minute mark, senior midfielder Kevin Coriolan put the Trojans up 2-0, firing a missile into the corner of the goal from 25 feet out.
Five minutes later, Coriolan assisted Ramirez to his first goal.
Two Mendoza goals later, Worthington went into the break with a 5-0 lead.
The second half was more of the same.
Ramirez scored four-and-a-half minutes in, and then fed Omot perfectly for another goal.
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Junior midfielder Michael Singsaath put the finishing touch on with less than eight minutes remaining.
The boys were eager to get back on the playing field after the most successful season in school history last year.
This year, the goal is clear: the Trojans think a trip to state is within reach.
"The opportunity to play at state is definitely our main goal right now," said Ramirez.
"We expect to get far this year," Flores added.
Last year, they lost twice and drew three times - both losses came at the hands, or rather the feet, of Southwest Christian.
"Last year we got knocked out by Southwest Christian at home and we want to get them back," Flores said.
The Trojans will visit SWC on Sept. 10.
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Their next game is 5 p.m. Tuesday at New Ulm.
CMC 0 0 -- 0
WHS 5 3 -- 8
