Staunton Star - Times - Published in the Interest of the Staunton Community for Over 143 Years

The Staunton boys' soccer team took advantage of its favorable draw in the IHSA playoffs with two wins over the Metro-East Lutheran Knights and the Lebanon Greyhounds. The wins meant that the team would play for the regional title for just the second time in the team's history. Unfortunately, the team would run into the top-seeded Father McGivney Griffins, and despite their best efforts, would fall short of the upset Friday night.

This year, the regional was held at Roxana, who had recently upgraded to a turf field two years ago. This was advantageous for the Bulldogs as they played several 8v8 summer games there and were quite familiar with the turf field. Other teams that participated in that summer league were Roxana, Civic Memorial, Breese Mater Dei, Alton Marquette, Jerseyville, and as fate would have it, Father McGivney.

Before the team could even face the Griffins in the regional final, it first had to get past the Greyhounds of Lebanon on Wednesday. This was a rematch of a mid-season meeting in which the Greyhounds scored first, but the Bulldogs came back to win the game on the road, 2-1. This time, the game would be played on a neutral field with the Greyhounds holding a higher seed than the Bulldogs (based on records).

The game could not have started any better, with the Bulldogs dominating possession early. Junior midfielder Victor Buehler started an attack that led senior midfielder and co-captain Ashton Copeland to send a ball in that was cleared by the Greyhounds. The clearance fell right at the feet of freshman midfielder Aaron Bodner who volleyed the ball into the back of the net. It would be the only goal of the game, and hence, the game winner.

If Bodner had scored the game winner, then it was fellow freshman midfielder Brody Hill who had the game saver. His defensive effort in the second half helped to preserve the win for the Bulldogs. There was an odd play where senior goalkeeper and co-captain Grant Neuhaus had to charge from his goal to make a play on an open opponent, who was just barely able to sneak a ball behind him. The ball was headed directly into the back of the net when Hill made a last-second sliding clearance to stop the goal and save the game.

With the win, the team now looked to claim its first regional championship ever. Father McGivney came into the game with the #1 seed, but by no means did they look invincible. Staunton would need to play well to have a chance, but the boys were not intimidated by the opportunity.

The championship game started much the same way the semifinal game had, with the Bulldogs scoring first. Ashton Copeland stole the ball at midfield and tried to cross it to the strikers, when a Griffin player stuck his foot out to redirect the cross. He did just that, but directly at the goal. Sadly, the ball would hit the crossbar and bounce out. However, sophomore striker Rhyse Rucker was right there to finish the attack. He would score his 11th goal of the season and tie fellow striker and senior Luke DeWitt for most goals on the team. The team was elated, but there was a lot of time left and a lot of work to be done to secure the win.

The lead and the feeling were short-lived, as the Griffins found a small opening in the Bulldogs' back line and took advantage, tying the game at one goal apiece. Six minutes after that, they scored the go-ahead goal to take a 2-1 lead into the half. The Bulldogs had executed phase one of their game plan, which was to keep it close at half. In fact, they even held the lead for the majority of it. Now came the real test, staging a comeback against a tough McGivney squad that likes to sit back and squeeze out close wins.

Brad Neuhaus for the Star-Times

Rhyse Rucker (#1) against Father McGivney

The Bulldogs set out to accomplish what no prior team had ever done. However, if they were going to win the title, they would need to score early. They came within inches of doing just that. Junior midfielder Dillon Pritchett sent a cross into the box to Rhyse Rucker that the goalkeeper misplayed, and Ashton Copeland ran onto it, kicking it into the crossbar and bouncing out. The goal would not only have tied the game, but would have changed the strategy for both teams and, perhaps, the outcome overall.

Instead, McGivney scored an incredible goal on a corner kick to put the game out of reach. They would eventually add another for good measure, but that would be where the scoring ended. The Bulldogs had held an offensive heavy team to four goals, and played valiantly to the end. It was an impressive showing, and a great way to represent our school and our town.

With the 1-0 win against Lebanon and the 4-1 loss to McGivney, the team finished the 2022 season with a 10-12-1 record. Although the boys did not make history this season, they definitely made us proud. Congratulations on a great season, boys! Thank you, everyone, for your support this year and throughout the years.