Thomas Jefferson takes down Beamer in FW Memorial Field’s inaugural game

On the opening night of the brand-new Federal Way Memorial Stadium on Oct. 18, Thomas Jefferson stole the show from Todd Beamer, winning 3-1.

“I feel like both teams played really well. There was a lot of intensity in this match. Like most rivalry games, it doesn’t matter about standings. It’s all about the effort on gameday and we got that from both sides today,” said Thomas Jefferson Head Coach Josh Hauck.

For the Raiders, they closed out their season the same way they started — with a win over Todd Beamer.

“It felt great… We played our heart out on the field today,” said sophomore Jazmyne DuBose.

This game was a little different than that first matchup that took place Sept. 2. The biggest difference was playing in the first game at the newly renovated Federal Way Memorial Field.

“I’m glad we planted a bit of legacy here. I think it’s pretty cool that both teams got the inaugural game here. That was awesome,” Hauck said.

A Titan and Raider chase the ball down. Ben Ray / The Mirror

The season had not gone the way the Raiders wanted based solely on wins and losses. There have been high-highs like the 0-0 draw against Auburn Riverside, and low-lows like a 5-0 loss to Kentlake two games later.

“This year was about enjoying it and having fun and supporting each other. Our mantra has been whatever we do, we do together. I think tonight was a great example of that,” said Hauck.

With just under ten minutes remaining in the half, Raider sophomore Jazmyne DuBose rifled a shot that beat the Todd Beamer keeper for the first goal in the new stadium’s history. She was a little hesitant coming into the game.

“I was so nervous going into the game. I was afraid I was going to play bad in front of the stadium and all these people. It ended up not being that bad, and I got the first goal,” she said.

That goal was enough for the rest of the half for the Raiders to go into the break with a 1-0 lead.

Out of the gate in the second half, Todd Beamer had a bit more energy. Freshman Karen Estrada put out an incredible effort to even up the game. She dashed between a couple of defenders, and after she lost possession, the ball found her right foot. She snuck the ball right past the keeper for the equalizer.

Five minutes later in the 48th minute, Thomas Jefferson was threatening again. Veronica Redmond sent a curling ball into the box over the head of every Todd Beamer defender, which found senior Mercy Montgomery, who took a touch around the keeper and scored the go-ahead goal.

The icing on the cake for the Raiders was DuBose finding the net for her second goal of the night, putting the game away. Callie Moore shot the ball from 30 yards out and after the ball hit the post nearly going in, DuBose was in the right spot to put the game on ice.

“She’s got a lot of growth and a lot of potential. She’s definitely been on these last few games. I’m just so proud of the effort she (has) put in,” Hauck said.

Anytime you play a rival, it brings out the best in you and your teammates. Even though both Todd Beamer and Thomas Jefferson were near the bottom of the NPSL table, they were still extremely competitive.

“Beamer is one of our biggest rivals. We try our hardest to beat them every year. This year we did,” DuBose said.

What DuBose can take from this year is a work ethic that can push the Raiders further: “The effort everybody put in — win, lose or tie. Everybody put in so much effort and we just need to continue that next year.”