Eagles Fall in Two Tough Matches

Senior captain Drew Dial (3) focuses on the ball in a match earlier this season against Fulton, while sophomore Jackson Fischer (12) provides support. Dial has been a reliable and relentless force in the midfield this season for the Eagles. Southern Boone will host this year’s district tournament in Ashland, with the team’s first tournament match taking place on Nov. 5 at 5pm.

By: Todd Pridemore
Last Tuesday on the soccer pitch, Southern Boone faced off against the Father Tolton Trailblazers (9-10) in Ashland. The Eagles were without standout forward/midfielder Brayden Watson due to injury, which meant a few starters found themselves settling into new positions for the match.

Tolton started the game on fire, banging a dangerous shot off the crossbar of the Eagles’ goal only 15 seconds into play. However, the match remained scoreless until the 15th minute, when a Tolton forward fought through two SB defenders in the box to convert a shot to the far left post to take a 1-0 lead that would stand through halftime. During the opening 40 minutes, the Eagles had their chances, with Miles Butler, Sam Rueter, and Alejandro Pagoada all placing strong shots on goal, but all were saved by the Trailblazers keeper.

The tide began to turn in the Eagles’ favor as the second period started. In the 47th minute, Butler placed another strong shot on goal, which was deflected away but resulted in a corner kick for Blake Nichols. The junior served a well placed ball in front of Tolton’s net, where fellow junior Zachary Hawkins flew in from outside of the box to head the ball into the net with force, and knot the score at 1-1. Eleven minutes later, the Eagles took the lead when Rueter threaded an excellent long pass from midfield through a crease in the Tolton defensive back line. Butler ran onto the ball and buried his shot to the far left post. Southern Boone played with great energy as the match continued and seemed destined to secure the victory. But the wheels fell off for the home team in the final three minutes.

Tolton scored the equalizer on a crafty give-and-go play that led to an open shot from 30 yards away. The ball found the top, right corner of the net and the outcome of the match was suddenly very much in doubt with only 180 seconds remaining. In heartbreaking fashion, the Eagles allowed a Tolton forward to be unmarked and receive the ball on a counterattack with 1:42 remaining on the clock. He converted the open shot on goal and the visitors celebrated their come-from-behind 3-2 win over the Eagles. The good news is that Southern Boone can most likely earn the opportunity to face Tolton again in the district tournament – probably for the district title.

The week didn’t get any easier for the Eagles, as they traveled to Battle High School in Columbia on Wednesday to take on the massive Class 4 Spartans (8-7-1). Southern Boone was again shorthanded, as Emery Arnold and Titus Pridemore joined Watson on the injured list. Battle featured fast and skilled players at every spot on the field, and they were clearly the superior team. The Spartans scored four goals in the opening half, and the only question was whether or not they would mercy-rule the Eagles (which requires an 8-goal lead).

To their credit, the SB players fought hard throughout the entire 80 minutes of play. Strong defensive efforts from Ethan Brown, Easton Cooper, Hawkins, and Nichols prevented the Spartans from adding to their lead until the middle of the second period. Battle did add more goals to claim a 7-0 lead, but SB fought back and managed to get three goals on the scoreboard before the match ended. In the 62nd minute, Dial fed the ball to Butler who pushed it up the right sideline and toward the goal.

The freshman forward dropped a square pass to the far post where a sprinting Alex Sachs made the one-touch score. Eleven minutes later, Butler again made a play when he maneuvered the ball through two Spartan defenders and buried his shot in the net. The home team netted another goal in the closing minutes, but the final score of the night was an impressive shot from Dial at the top of the box that made the final margin of defeat 3-8 for the Eagles.

The two losses dropped the Eagles’ record to 14-7 on the season. This week, the squad has two matches away from Ashland, which are their final regular season games of the season. Southern Boone will host the Class 2 District 4 tournament in Ashland, and their first game will be on Nov. 5 at 5:00pm.