Taking advantage of a shorthanded Granite Falls soccer team, South Whidbey blitzed the visiting Tigers 5-0 Friday, March 30.

“Granite Falls is a well-coached squad due to their excellent coach, Lowell Zenk, but they were missing quite a few players and starters last night for one reason or another,” South Whidbey coach Emerson Robbins said.

The Falcons, too, were missing a piece, senior captain and all-conference defender Lake Smith.

“That might be why we started out so poorly defensively,” Robbins said. “However, our back line with Ari Rohan, Andrew Curtis, super freshman Thomas Simms and Joey Lane soon picked up the slack.”

Robbins said his offense was “a bit too selfish at times,” but the work of Silas Batiste helped get it on track.

“I’m not sure if he had played defensive mid previously, but he had an outstanding game, constantly winning balls centrally and consistently making great decisions with his distribution,” Robbins said.

Michael Lux helped the Falcons go up 3-0 at halftime with a pair of goals and an assist.

Lux opened the scoring off a beautiful through ball by Nevin Daniels, then scored his second goal after stripping a defender and hitting the back of the net.

Lux assisted on Aidan Donnelly’s gaol to make it 3-0.

The goal was the freshman’s first in varsity play, “with many more to come,” according to Robbins.

After halftime, freshman Reilly McVay duplicated Donnelly’s feat, scoring his first varsity goal. His initial shot was stopped by the Tiger keeper, but McVay followed up and knocked in the rebound.

“Another smart play by a freshman,” Robbins said.

McVay added a second goal later in the half to finish the scoring.

“I’m really enjoying coaching these freshmen,” Robbins said. “They are really talented and extremely well trained due to their years spent training and being coached by Dino Michaelides and Ben Rusch.”

The Falcons out-shot Granite Falls (0-3, 1-5) 32-4.

Robbins considered that a good news, bad news situation.

“The bad part being that we sent at least half our shots over the goal. Thus, we will be working on our shooting this next week with training led by former professional Brian Iblings.

“Brian was Conference Player of the Year at Concordia College when he played striker there. He later started the men’s soccer program at Whatcom Community College and was named Coach of the Year winning the conference in only his second year there.

“(We) are so very fortunate to have Brian Iblings helping out when he can. He is one of the best trainers and coaches I’ve ever worked with in my 35 years of coaching.”

South Whidbey (2-2, 3-2-1) plays at Cedarcrest (2-1-1, 2-3-2) at 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 4.