Gallery by Heather Belcher
The Shady Spring boys soccer team captured its first sectional title since 2011 last year with a 2-1 win over then defending sectional champion PikeView.
Saturday evening, the Panthers came to H.B. Thomas Field looking for some revenge in the Class AA-A Region 3, Section 1 rematch.
Playing an aggressive style of soccer, PikeView (17-4-1) turned the tables on the Tigers to take a 3-0 win and advance to the regional round where it will face No. 10 ranked Charleston Catholic (12-7-3).
“I texted my wife coming over here and said they are more focused than I ever seen them before a game,” PikeView head coach Jimmy Patton said. “They are a really good team and they come out fast. Our goal was to meet their intensity and possess the ball. Just challenge every ball.”
The challenges from the Panthers came in heavy fashion and took Shady Spring out of its normal high octane attack.
“I think their physicality changed the nature of the game,” Shady Spring head coach Josiah Smith said. “There were moments where I thought we weren’t sure how to respond to the adversity that the game showed us.”
As the clock moved into the 12th minute, the visitors took advantage of a flurry of action in front of the net.
Nate Cook’s blast hit the top of the crossbar and ricocheted just in front of the net where Matt Murphy banged it in off of his chest for a 1-0 lead.
“We used a different formation in this game,” Patton said. “We thinned out our midfield to do some other things. So it put a lot on those three or four players that were attackers and they came through. They ran the entire game.”
Each time that Shady Spring seemed primed to make a charge into the scoring third for a response, it was met with a physical challenge for the Panthers, allowing the defense to reset.
“That was one of the dynamics in play. We played PikeView twice this year and we knew they were a physical team. That is what they bring,” Smith said. “It is one of the ways that they play and one of the ways they have success. In the end, we didn’t have enough quality to deal with their physicality and play the way we know how to play to get a good result.”
Ty Thompson doubled the lead in the 27th minute when he curved a blast just inside the far post which stood at the break. Less than three minutes into the second half, Thompson ripped another deep winner for a 3-0 lead.
“Ty is a really good player. We normally play two center-mids, but today we moved one of them to the wing and he handled the center-mid all by himself,” Patton said. “Great soccer IQ and a great talent. Good kid and he has really come through for us every time.”
Thompson’s soccer instincts paid huge dividends on his two goals.
“The keeper played out a lot. They played a high press. The keeper would follow in and behind him there was a space,” Thompson said. “I realized in the midfield that he was staying out far. On both of my goals I saw he was out, so I just launched it over his head.”
The best chance to score for the home team came when the Tigers were awarded a penalty kick on a foul in the box in the 15th minute. Keeper
Drew Damewood was up to the challenge, making a big save to preserve the 3-0 lead for PikeView.
“They have had a lot of PK’s on me before. We make a lot of stupid mistakes. It is part of the game. My guys have confidence in me and I have confidence in them. At the end of the day, if it went in, we still had the momentum,” Damewood said. “With good players like these, the shots are too fast. You have to read a little bit. PK’s are 50-50, but if you can do anything you can to read the ball, you have to do it.”
Two minutes later Damewood made another strong save to preserve the clean sheet when he gathered a header in front of the net off of a direct kick from the Tigers.
PikeView’s aggressive play resulted in two (soft) red cards, seven yellow cards and numerous fouls, but the Panthers never seemed challenged most of the night.
“We have been fortunate to have some really good athletes come through the program and we are usually a decent team,” Patton said. “It means a lot for them and their confidence to come out and play like this.”
The battle with the Irish is set for approximately 7 p.m. in Charleston. The regular season clash against the Catholic was a 1-0 setback for the Panthers.
“We lost with about 10-15 minutes left on an own-goal,” Patton said. “We think we can be competitive with them. They are a really good team, a really good team.”
Although he was excited for the win, Thompson was quick to point out that there was more soccer to be played.
“It is really good, but we are not done. We are going to states,” Thompson said. “They have a strong team and they move the ball really well. They have some really good players too. I feel like it will be a different game this time with our intensity. We are ready for them this time.”
