STA Boys Soccer 2023

Game 19: 12-6-1 31 October at De Soto in the State Quarter Finals (1-0)  2023 STATS We got it done, downing De Soto 1-0 in a thriller. We had 3 expected goals first half we did not cash, and then put away our only real opportunity in the second half. They had a couple of scary (Halloween scary, Graveyard scary) deadballs in the second half as well. Coach Proctor came out in a 5-4-1 the gave us fits. Space was hard to find inside the big box. Despite that though, we did create 3 great opportunities in the first half, as they were content just to defend. Second half, however, a few of their counter balls set them up with some long deadballs. A couple of those came close, too close. So the match did entertain. And then with just a bit more than 10 to go, Lebourveau hit the biggest shot of his high school career to send us through to the Final Four. We will be back in the semifinals against our old friend, Maize South. We look to get a win over them this time. MOM Nathan Lebourveau STA...

Game 18: 11-6-1 26 October vs. Sumner Academy at FL Schlagle (3-1) 2023 STATS We had a rematch from last year's playoffs with 15-2-0 Sumner Academy; they have some star power surrounding some other good soccer players. We were able to prevail 3-1, but the match did have some drama as Gates got Sumner within 1 late in the second half at 2-1. So before Cooper put the PK away to make it 3-1 we did have some excitement. I was a little disappointed with how we played, but I do understand that Sumner had something to do with that.  The field is only 66 wide, so it was imperative we attacked wide, but we spent a lot of time in the middle of the field. We also did not do a good job of just receiving and protecting the ball before we passed it. They were on us quickly.  We did come out with some fire as those first ten minutes we were pretty darn good. And I know the boys and the coaching staff just enjoyed seeing BWhite thrive in a new environment coaching kids again, something h...

Game 17: 10-6-1 23 October vs. Pittsburg in Region 2 Semis at Saint Thomas Aquinas (10-0-0) 2023 STATS Oddly enough, we just switched locations for our first game of post season as we still drew the Pittsburg Purple Dragons (along with some Colgan students) for our first match. Last year we downed them in Pittsburg 5-1, but this year they did no put up much resistance at all. Granted it was raining steadily throughout the match, and they had driven two and a half hours up in a school bus, just arriving with less than an hour to game time—so things did not bode well for them. They did hit a nice shot off the post in the first half. And they did earn a corner kick around the same time, but for the most part that was the extent of their attack. We had them 5-0 at half, with the first three goals coming off deadballs, 2 corner kicks and a long, free kick. In the second half, we scored a quick 4 goals before we had played ten minutes. So the match did end early, with 22 and change left to p...

  Game 16: 9-6-1 14 October vs. Wichita North at Wichita North (4-1-0) 2023 STATS We entered our final match of the year a little banged up, missing a few more guys, and coming off a school-bus trip to Wichita where we started 40 minutes after we got off the bus. What could go wrong? Not much did. We played a crisp match, getting two goals each half, only giving up a goal late on a pretty “iffy” PK. Liam Lynch had a nice varsity debut, playing right back the entire second half.  Ryan continued his hot streak, putting another two goals in the back of the net, one coming off a Janeway t-ball.  We will take a few days off and then get back at it for a playoff run.  STATS: First Half: Saints: Shots 10 (5)  Corners: 7 (Ryan 2, Welsh 2, Muckernan, Laws, Sarmiento.) 13:24 Muck (Sarmiento bends the right-footed corner) 8:05 Ryan (Sarmiento puts the dead all on Liam’s head for a precise head-flick) Red Hawks: Shots: 4 (0) Corners: 0 Second Half: Saints: Shots: 13 (7) C...

Game 15: 8-6-1 12 October vs. BV West on their senior night at AnDAC (2-2, 2OT's) 2023 STATS Before I say it was a tail of two halves, I will have to admit that one half we had a decent wind, and one half we did not. Both teams scored two goals the half they had the wind. And neither of us scored in overtime. I did think we played very well first half, offensively and defensively.  And we were pretty solid against the wind. We were a bit unlucky to go away with a tie, but the soccer gods thought otherwise, and maybe they were right. We do have a much better chance now not to meet BV Southwest in Regionals. We scored on two early deadballs, a throw and a corner. In fact, we chalked up 9 corners in the first half.  I am still not liking our tendency in second halves to quit doing what keeps us in good shape and what give us better chances to score—going wide and attacking the baseline. This match offered up a bit of an excuse with the wind. Both starting 6's, along with Ragan an...

Game 14: (8-6-0) 10 October vs. Blue Valley on Senior Night: 1-0 OT 2023 STATS Senior Night was quite a night from its presentation to our honoring John Whigham to the Soccer of it all. Mrs. Befort headed up the event that began with a walk-in with flowers for moms and medals for dads and notes to both of them as Nick Dicarlo read each bio during their walkouts.  We had Mrs. Gress there for pictures, and a special moment of silence for John Whigham and his family. With the boys breaking out their SripeOut uniforms again and Travis getting everyone a red wristband the Whigham tribute became quite special for us all. And the game. Wow. I know it was a 1-0 OT win, but we played some very very good soccer. We outshot the Tigers 15 shots on goal to 2. We did hit quite a few of those at the keeper, but he also made 5 or 6 nice saves. And Blue Valley is such a well organized team with a couple of special dudes in the middle of the field. The coaches were just impressed with how we were ab...

Game 13: 7-6-0 7 October vs. KC East @ Saint Thomas Aquinas in the 810 Showcase (4-2) 2023 STATS It was a bit smaller than normal, but it was quite an entertaining 810 Showcase. Park Hill South upset BV Southwest in the first match in OT, 3-2. Rockhurst broke away late in the first half against Bishop Miege to win 5-1, and we took down a very talented East squad, 4-2. This is definitely a match we would have lost a couple of weeks ago. The East squad is loaded with technical, talented players; we were going to have to score some goals to win this match.  And with Muck's return to the lineup Tuesday, and with his second match today we have put in 9 goals, 4.5 goals per match. The rest of the year we were averaging just under 2 goals per match. He got us started today with another assist to Liam. Liam returned the favor on this rather rewatchable corner kick where Liam pops a ground cross up and over the keeper to the back post for the Muck finish. Brilliant. We pushed the ...

Game 12: 6-6-0 3 October at 6:30  vs. BV Northwest at BVDAC: (5-1) 2023 STATS We waited a bit for this lineup, one with Andrew Muckerman in it. And it did not disappoint as Muck chalked up the first two assists of the match.  Liam Ryan doffed the first hat of the year, and our defense was still very limiting. Northwest did score on a second-half PK, but overall we were solid. We have now clawed our way back to .500, a climb that really began a week ago when we took on Blue Valley North on the same field. We played so many of those next games and others before that with a variety of personnel in the starting line-up that did not resemble our starting line-up for tonight. This one felt pretty good. Our 6's tonight were pretty darn good, and Joseph Befort continues to show he is one of the best around town. Alex Bissen is healthy now, and his play has just been great, and now we have Spencer Ragan playing lots of minutes at the '6," as well, so Bobby can stay at left back, k...