CORE Butte soccer ended their home season on a high note Tuesday afternoon with a 5–1 win over Loyalton High School. The match also served as Senior Night. Before kickoff, the team held a short ceremony to honor their senior players. Two balloon pillars stood at the front of the crowd as each senior walked between them, holding up posters with their photos printed on them while the crowd cheered.

From the opening whistle, CORE Butte demonstrated great passing and moves. Close shot after close shot until they managed to score the first goal of the game at the 27th minute. Two more goals came quickly at 4:29 and 4:36, giving CORE a solid 3–0 lead heading into halftime. Loyalton created a few close chances, but the defense and the goalkeeper kept the net clean through the first half.

In the second half, Loyalton earned a penalty kick at the 53rd minute to make it 3–1, but that would be their only goal of the day. CORE Butte responded with continued pressure, adding two more goals late in the half at 5:28 and 5:32. By the final whistle, the scoreboard read 5–1 in their favor, marking CORE’s 11th straight win over Loyalton.

After the game, Sophomore Ben Feather said the win felt different from past matches. “It was refreshing. First, because we won. Second, our new formation helped us support each other better, and there’s less of a big gap between the two center mids. It did open a new problem, though, which was communication.”

Head Coach Jason Spears said he was proud of the performance. “We played very well. We were composed, moved the ball around the field, and trusted each other with our passes. We’re starting to play with more patience instead of always pushing forward. Many great opportunities were created. Overall, a very great game.”

With this win, CORE Butte improves to 4–7 overall. They’ll travel to Portola on Thursday before heading into the playoffs next week.

Shoutout to seniors Ashlynn Hayes and Adrik Dyer for their leadership and dedication throughout the season. Go Lynx!