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Grizzlies claw Tornado, take over SOC lead ASHLAND -- North Medford High boys soccer coach Rich Garcia thought Ashland had the best team in the Southern Oregon Conference before the season started and now the Grizzlies are beginning to prove him right. Eric Sharp and Jesse Hodges scored two goals apiece as the Grizzlies raced past the Black Tornado 4-1 on Saturday. The victory lifted the Grizzlies to 3-0 and alone atop the SOC. "I voted them No. 1 from the get-go and nothing about the way they played today changed my mind," said Garcia of the Grizzlies. "They've got good senior leadership and they get good play in the midfield. And they're just a very deter- = mined group of kids." Sharp broke the scoring ice in the 21st minute when the ball squirted away from a Tornado defender in the box. Sharp gained possession after taking a pass from Peter Grossman and blasted it into the net from point-blank range. Nine minutes later, Sharp took an across-the-box pass from sophomore Scott Beaver and scored again for a 2-0 Ashland lead. "Beaver set that goal up beautifully," Garcia said. "Our keeper (Chris Barringer) came out to stop him and he made a nice pass to Sharp and there was nothing we could do." North Medford dominated the first four minutes of the second half but had nothing to show for it. Then Ashland's Will Dolan took possession against the aggressive Tornado near midfield, dumped the ball to Hodges and he went the distance for a breakaway goal and a 3-0 Ashland lead. Hodges also scored Ashland's final goal in the 49th minute. "The third goal was the backbreaker because we had them on their heels to start the second half," Garcia said. "We had some things going and would have been right back in it with a goal. But instead, they score and now we're in trouble." North Medford averted a shutout when senior striker Johnny Whitaker connected on a penalty kick in the 59th minute. "I liked the way we started today," said Ashland coach Eisa Tiaa Toutou, whose team improved its overall record to 6-0-4. "We opened the field in the first half. We showed good passing, good communication, good hustle and good shooting. "And I thought our wings played well, especially Hodges and Beaver." SOUTH MEDFORD 2, CRATER 0 -- At Central Point, Crater battled South Medford even for 70 minutes, but a defensive mistake turned the game in the Panthers' favor. South's first goal came on a Crater own goal with 10 minutes remaining in the match when a Comet player put the ball into his own net trying to clear the ball from the defensive zone. South Medford's Ethan Wallenberg scored on a header off a direct kick by Craig Tomlins five minutes later to complete the scoring. Panther coach Dave Potter credited backup goalie Kyle Hadley with playing an important role on both goals after Potter inserted Hadley into the game as a position player late in the second half. KLAMATH UNION 3, ROSEBURG 2 -- At Klamath Falls, Krister Balme's second goal of the first half proved to be the game-winner as Klamath Union tagged Roseburg with its first SOC loss in three outings. All OF the scoring came in the opening period. Roseburg's Brody Shelby scored the game's first goal at the 25th minute, but Klamath Union countered one minute later on a score by freshman Ricardo Guererro. Balme gave the Pelicans the lead on a penalty kick at the 29th minute, then Roseburg tied the score at 2-2 on Brad Coen's goal. Balme scored the decisive goal with less than one minute remaining before halftime. Klamath Union (5-3-1, 2-1 SOC) had a 17-16 edge in shots. GRANTS PASS 3, EAGLE POINT 0 --At Eagle Point, Cameron Watts took a crossing pass and headed the ball into the net to break a scoreless tie with 12 minutes to play as Grants Pass beat feisty Eagle Point. The Cavers added two goals in the final eight minutes, one by Ian Erickson on a breakaway up the middle and the other by Jason Hoy. Sweeper Brandon Curriston and stopper Jason Fumasi led the Eagle defense. Eagle Point fell to 0-3 in the SOC and 4-4-2 overall. Today's Sports Index Mail Tribune Copyright� The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, OR U.S.A.