A strong first half of soccer was not enough for Decatur as Kentwood powered their way to a 5-1 win on a rainy Tuesday night.

It was clear from the outset that the Gators’ plan was to be aggressive. Kentwood players were harassed as soon as they touched the ball, and most of the play took place closer to the Conquerors’ goal.

An early corner opportunity for Decatur somehow found its way over a crowd of players and harmlessly bounced out of play for a goal kick.

Shortly thereafter, Kentwood had their first opportunity on a corner. After the ball bounced around a bit, Decatur’s Augustin Estrada was able to clear the ball.

Decatur finally found a breakthrough in the 25th minute.

Marcos Santos gained possession of the ball nearly 40 yards away from the goal and decided to take a chance. It paid off, and the ball sailed to the opposite side of the net and buried itself in the top corner to give the Gators a 1-0 lead.

Near the end of the half, Kentwood answered the Gators’ goal. After a corner kick was defended, the Conquerors found themselves with the perfect opportunity to counter.

With the Decatur back line on their heels, Mason Rudolph weaved his way down the pitch for an open shot and tied the game in the 38th minute.

Decatur remained aggressive once the second half began, trying to regain the lead. It would be their undoing in the end.

Eight minutes into the half, Kentwood once again got the Gators disheveled defensively. In the chaos, the Conquerors put together a few solid passes that ended with Danny Avila giving them the lead on a short shot.

Kentwood added two more goals in the next two minutes. Specifically, Danny Lozano added two more goals.

Play was stopped momentarily in the 69th minute as the ref gave Kentwood’s Kiliai Aulava and Decatur’s Robert Toader each a yellow card as tempers boiled over.

A minute later, Leo Tizoc added the final goal of the night for Kentwood.

The loss drops Decatur to 2-6-1 on the season and 2-4-1 in league play. They currently sit a single point behind Federal Way for what could be the final spot for district playoffs, depending on tiebreakers.

The Gators take on Kentridge (4-3-2, 3-3-1) today at 3:30 p.m. at Federal Way Memorial Stadium. The Chargers are currently third in the South Puget Sound League Northeast.