Benny Westcott
Class of 2023 Sweet Home graduate Evan Towry has hit the ground running in his post high school soccer career this summer.
Towry, a four-year starter and three time All League Honorable Mention winner at goalkeeper for the Huskies, was a member of the Eugene Metro Futbol Club “Marseille” Premier team that played their way to the U.S. Youth Soccer Far West Regional Quarterfinal round in Boise, Idaho from June 22-29. The Metros earned their invitation to the tournament by winning a qualifying tournament in December.
The U.S. Youth Soccer Far West Regional Tournament boasts the top 16 qualifying teams from the western 14 states, including Oregon, Washington, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Idaho and Nevada. Towry’s Eugene-based team consisted of select players from Eugene, Corvallis and other communities throughout the Willamette Valley who endured a six week try-out period throughout May and June of 2022. The Marseille Premier team competed in multiple tournaments and a winter/spring league before earning a trip to Boise in an effort to claim a regional championship and a spot at the 2023 U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships in Florida.
The Metros were slated to play the New Mexico Rush 04/05B in their first game, but New Mexico forfeited. So the Eugene Metro Marseille Premier faced the Fellowship of Christian Athletes from California, ending with a 1-1 tie. Towry was involved in a heavy collision during that game, but would pass through concussion protocol testing and return to play the next day against Flathead SC Premier 04. Towry and the Metros took the win from the Montana team, prevailing by a 3-0 score and giving Towry a “clean sheet” for the day. The win secured group play seeding, as the top two teams from each four team group advanced to the single elimination tournament.
The boys had a day of rest and recovery followed by a quarterfinal game against a familiar foe, Oregon Premier FC 04B Academy. Oregon Premier is in the same league as the Metros, and had played them to a 2-2 tie about six weeks earlier. The teams have had a rivalry for several years. Towry’s team jumped out to an early lead on a beautiful goal from distance and played strong to hold a 1-0 lead up to the last 10 minutes of the game, when Oregon Premier scored two goals. The loss ended the Metros’ season and careers as club players. Oregon Premier ended up winning the tournament.
Towry continues to entertain offers to play soccer at several NAIA universities including Bushnell University, Eastern Oregon University, and Walla Walla University. He also received scholarship offers from NAIA top 25 Warner Pacific University, NCAA Division II powerhouse Tiffin University in Ohio and NCAA Division II Shorter University in Rome, Georgia.