YAKIMA - Davis is dialing it in at the perfect time. With Tuesday’s 2-0 win over crosstown rival Eisenhower, the Pirates have won five in a row and sit all alone at the top of the CBBN at 7-1 (9-2-1 overall). They’ve beaten defending league champion Wenatchee twice and also took down Eastmont, at the time the No. 5 team in the latest Class 4A RPI rankings, on the road last month. Sure, there’s still work to be done, including a rematch with the Wildcats on Tuesday at Zaepfel Stadium (Davis’ home field for the remainder of the season). But with eight shutouts to their credit, the No. 5 RPI Pirates feel like they are primed for a deep postseason run. “We knew we had a good team, but we didn’t know things would work out as well as they have,” said fourth-year head coach Cristian Gonzalez, who led Davis to a third-place state finish in 2023. “After graduating so many guys last year, it’s nice to see the pieces fitting into place.” As Gonzalez is quick to point out, the Pirates’ success starts with their defense, led by center backs Aiden Munoz and Osmar Perez and outside defenders Omar Alvarez and Yosgardt Badillo. They’ve also leaned heavily on the goalkeeping tandem of David Marin and Gabe Paulani, who have settled into a shared role, with Marin manning the box in the first half and Paulani finishing out the game. But with seven goals in the past two games, the offense is also showing signs of rounding into form. Junior transfer Lino Stevenson has begun to find his rhythm after sitting out the first six games due to eligibility reasons, scoring three goals and delivering two assists since his debut in late March. “Bringing in Lino has been huge,” Gonzalez said of the first-team all-league midfielder. “Once he finally got out there with us, we started to feel it. He’s such a good teammate and the guys love him.” Junior forward Jaime Alcocer is the team’s leading scorer with four tallies and is among the team leaders in assists. Senior captains Diego Aguirre and Jose Cuevas have been steady in the midfield, while junior mid Carlos Benitez has also been getting into the act of late, scoring two goals in the past two games. “For us, it’s not just a few guys, it’s the whole team,” Gonzalez said. “Everyone understands their role and they all want the team to succeed. We’ve built a really good culture here, and I think that’s going to help us come playoff time.” Munoz, the Pirates’ senior defensive leader, believes the Pirates’ camaraderie is going to be the difference-maker down the stretch. “We're all friends outside of school and we communicate really well with each other,” he said. “We play with a lot of confidence and we believe in each other. I think that’s our biggest strength.”