Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

DES MOINES – One of the most dynamic goal scorers in Class 3A came up big in the state semifinals on Saturday at Cownie Soccer Complex in Des Moines.

This time it wasn’t Cedar Rapids Washington superstar Keaton Woods that put on a goal scoring show.

Gada Ambo scored a pair of goals for the second straight match as second-ranked West High (18-1) surged into the Class 3A title game for the first time since 2017 with a 3-1 win over No. 11 Cedar Rapids Washington.

“This group needed to end in the finals,” West High coach Brad Stiles said. “Another consolation for all of us I think would have been a little hard to swallow so I am glad we are going to a final.”

Ambo outdueled Woods in a highly-anticipated matchup of two of the best playmakers in Class 3A as West High stretched its winning streak to 18.

The senior forward scored the first two goals for West High, giving him seven in four postseason matches, as the Trojans set up a championship showdown with top-ranked Waukee (21-0) on Tuesday at 5 p.m.

“He’s my friend so we talked about this before the season even started,” Ambo said of the showdown with Woods. “He’s a good player, I’m a good player so it’s a competition.”

West High managed to slow the dynamic Woods, something that proved to be too tall a task for every team during a nine-match Cedar Rapids Washington winning streak that ended Saturday.

Woods had a goal or assist in each of the last nine matches for Cedar Rapids Washington (14-6), scoring 19 goals during the Warriors’ winning streak.

That streak stopped on Saturday.

“We wanted to make sure our central defensive midfielders knew where he was at all times,” West High senior keeper Zach Albright said. “If he turned we had to make sure our outside backs had some help.”

Woods had his best two scoring chances in the opening 23 minutes.

He spun away from two West High defenders near midfield in the 15th minute and got a clean look from inside the box but Albright made the save.

“It’s Keaton Woods, he’s going to put one on goal,” Albright said. “I just tried to stay on the balls of my feet and react.”

Woods had a free kick from a yard outside the top of the box sail high in the 23rd minute and didn’t have much room to operate after that.

Meanwhile, Ambo took over.

Ambo gave West High a 1-0 lead when he lofted a free kick from near midfield over leaping Cedar Rapids Washington goalie Sam Earl in the 27th minute.

“I saw the keeper out so I was just trying to hit it and hopefully would get in the box and get a touch,” Ambo said. “It was kind of lucky but I will take it.”

Ambo then gave West High some breathing room with a rocket from inside the box less than four minutes into the second half.

“That second goal today was a huge amount of composure, to take a touch there and finish there you don’t necessarily see that all the time,” Stiles said. “That’s really the difference with Gada.”

Marko Migambi put the match away with a goal in the 70th minute that gave West High a 3-0 lead.

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