The Columbus/Winfield-Mount Union boys soccer team holds up their Class 1A state soccer qualifer banner after a 3-0 victory Saturday over the Albia Blue Demons. Photo by KCII’s Sally Hart.

For the second time in program history, the No. 4 Columbus/Winfield-Mount Union Wildcats (17-1 overall) will represent southeast Iowa in the Class 1A soccer tournament. Columbus High School was the site of the Class 1A Substate 6 championship match Saturday between the Wildcats and the Albia Blue Demons (9-10 overall). The Wildcats posted their 14th shut out of the season, advancing to the state tournament with a 3-0 victory over the Blue Demons.

The match was scoreless until the 32nd minute when sophomore Kevin Rodriguez fired a shot through the bottom right corner of the net, taking a 1-0 advantage into halftime.

The Wildcats leading scorer, junior Eric Cantarero, provided the rest of the scoring in the second half. In the 62nd minute, a foul in the box led to a Canterero penalty kick, which he deposited in bottom right corner over the net for a 2-0 advantage. Columbus/Winfield-Mount Union capped their scoring in the 73rd minute when Canterero smashed a shot over the outstretched arms of Albia keeper Josiah Harris, making the final score, 3-0. Canterero’s pair of goals were the 29th and 30th of the season, breaking Alex Cruz’s 2014 school record for most goals scored in a single season.

The Wildcats earned the No. 6 seed in the Class 1A tournament and will open up their run at a state title against No. 3 seed Kuemper Catholic Knights of Carroll. The Knights defeated Unity Christian, 2-1, Saturday in the Class 1A Substate 1 bracket. The quarterfinal match between the Wildcats and Knights is set to kickoff at 12:15 p.m. at the James C. Cownie Soccer Complex in Des Moines.