Decatur and Jefferson both had plenty at stake going into their matchup on Saturday. Decatur looked to inch their way closer to a postseason berth, while Jefferson hoped to stay alive in the race for the South Puget Sound League Northwest crown.

The teams were physical from the start of the match. Opportunities to score came quickly, but neither team was able to capitalize.

The Raiders had trouble getting past Gator goalkeeper Jose Barbosa, who made a few diving saves on close-range chances.

The same could be said for Jefferson senior goalkeeper Connor Thompson. While only having to make one diving save that sent the ball just wide of the net, Thompson was solid while standing up and playing the ball when Decatur looked like they would break through the back line.

Seniors for Jefferson played much of the game. They were all subbed out late in the game to a standing ovation from their fans as they walked off the pitch.

“With all the history we have here, it’s an honor defending eight state titles,” Jefferson senior Paul-Andrew McCleary said. “You gotta keep that in mind every single game and remember you represent more than just the team and yourself.”

Jefferson was the more aggressive team as they looked to keep pressure on for the full 80 minutes. Decatur slowed down the pace late in the game, preferring to counterattack.

Neither side was able to break through as the game wore on. The Raiders came close in the waning minutes of the game, but a shot after a free kick only managed to bounce off the crossbar.

Decatur cleared it out the back for a corner, but Jefferson was unable to capitalize there either.

Throughout the game, there were hard sliding and standing tackles by both teams, which caused emotions to run high for a few players. A couple of yellow cards were handed out and the ref directly talked to a few players.

The draw kept Decatur’s postseason hopes alive for one game longer, but that fell through on Tuesday when they lost 3-0 to Todd Beamer in their final regular season game.

Jefferson’s hopes of winning the division were dashed by the draw. They were cemented in the second spot in the South Puget Sound League Northwest standings and the third place spot in the entire league’s North division.

“With our history we have, our goal is to always be No. 1 and try to go as far as we can at state,” McCleary said. “These last two games we’ve had are just us looking into the future and trying to get ready for that.”

Jefferson will play Spanaway Lake, the fourth seed from the South Puget Sound League South, to open district playoffs. The game is on May 12 at 7:00 p.m. at French Field in Kent. The winner will play Mount Rainier on May 14 at 8 p.m. at Curtis High School. The loser will be eliminated.

In order to advance to the state playoffs, they will need to win two consecutive games.

Jefferson senior Seth Walker executes a successful tackle on Decatur’s Marcos Santos. Terrence Hill, the Mirror

Decatur’s Moses Griffin attempts an over-the-head shot that was saved by Jefferson’s Connor Thompson. Terrence Hill, the Mirror