Tigers take Round 1 against Panthers
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
EBER — For the time being, the South Central Ohio League top spot belongs to it's defending champion.
Thursday was a day in which the McClain Tigers' boys soccer team came back from trailing by multiple goals, not once, but twice, en route to another SCOL win. This time defeating the Miami Trace Panthers, 5-4 on the field of the Miami Trace Panthers.
Last session, the battle for the SCOL title was a fight between the Tigers and the Panthers, and it looks as though, in the middle stages of this season, the same two teams will be at it once again.
Round one goes to the Tigers.
"This was an excellent game. We talked all week how we had to be ready to play the Panthers and it was all heart. It was just all heart," MHS coach Shawn Jackson said.
In the game Thursday the Panthers lead early by scoring the game's first two goals. McClain held strong and came back to tie the game before the first half ended with two goals from Daniel White, who did all he could to put the ball into the back of the next two times to bring the scored deadlocked at two goals each.
"Daniel was excellent at making runs to the goal," Jackson said.
Miami Trace then regained the lead by placing the ball into the back of the goal two more times in the second half for a 4-2 lead.
Like in the first half, McClain went about their business of defending their SCOL crown, scoring three goals to gain the win.
The first of the three second half goals was from Luis Rivas, followed with Sam Henry tying the game at four.
The fifth, and game-deciding goal, was by Trey Lytle who put the Tigers ahead for good.
"Being down by two goals twice in this game was tough. But we kept telling the kids 'they had to keep their heads up and have no letdowns,'" Jackson said. "The way the guys came back (Thursday) shows what they want at the end of the season," Jackson said.
In the soccer scoring system, MT has two SCOL losses giving them 12 points on the year, and MHS, who have no SCOL losses and one tie, at this point of the season, is in first with 13 points.
Assists in the game for McClain were credited to Rivas (2) and Henry (1).
MHS keeper Ryan Case had seven saves.
"The kids worked hard, we had a plan, stuck to the plan and God willing we did," Jackson said. "But, Miami Trace played tough and we still have to play them at our place. The SCOL is still wide-open."
Jackson said it was a physical game.
"It was very physical," he said. "We each had a player go down, but they both re-entered the game and that shows how bad both teams want to be in first place."
One of the big reasons for the SCOL win, the Tigers' fourth of the season, was the excellent play of their defense.
"Defensively we stuck together and played as four," Jackson said.
The defensive players Jackson talked about were: Jimmy Free, Steven Barber, Chris Wiseman, Scott Balzer and Shane Hall. Balzer and Hall shared responsibilities on defense this game with Balzer in the first half and Hall in the second half.
"The defense played hard and they hustled," Jackson said.
The 4-2-1 overall Tigers (4-0-1, SCOL) will take on the Madison-Plains Golden Eagles on Tuesday, Sept. 21 at MPHS in another SCOL game.
MT and McClain will meet again at McClain Field on Oct. 11 at 7 p.m.
SCORE BY HALF
MHS 2 3 — 5
MTHS 2 2 — 4[[In-content Ad]]
Thursday was a day in which the McClain Tigers' boys soccer team came back from trailing by multiple goals, not once, but twice, en route to another SCOL win. This time defeating the Miami Trace Panthers, 5-4 on the field of the Miami Trace Panthers.
Last session, the battle for the SCOL title was a fight between the Tigers and the Panthers, and it looks as though, in the middle stages of this season, the same two teams will be at it once again.
Round one goes to the Tigers.
"This was an excellent game. We talked all week how we had to be ready to play the Panthers and it was all heart. It was just all heart," MHS coach Shawn Jackson said.
In the game Thursday the Panthers lead early by scoring the game's first two goals. McClain held strong and came back to tie the game before the first half ended with two goals from Daniel White, who did all he could to put the ball into the back of the next two times to bring the scored deadlocked at two goals each.
"Daniel was excellent at making runs to the goal," Jackson said.
Miami Trace then regained the lead by placing the ball into the back of the goal two more times in the second half for a 4-2 lead.
Like in the first half, McClain went about their business of defending their SCOL crown, scoring three goals to gain the win.
The first of the three second half goals was from Luis Rivas, followed with Sam Henry tying the game at four.
The fifth, and game-deciding goal, was by Trey Lytle who put the Tigers ahead for good.
"Being down by two goals twice in this game was tough. But we kept telling the kids 'they had to keep their heads up and have no letdowns,'" Jackson said. "The way the guys came back (Thursday) shows what they want at the end of the season," Jackson said.
In the soccer scoring system, MT has two SCOL losses giving them 12 points on the year, and MHS, who have no SCOL losses and one tie, at this point of the season, is in first with 13 points.
Assists in the game for McClain were credited to Rivas (2) and Henry (1).
MHS keeper Ryan Case had seven saves.
"The kids worked hard, we had a plan, stuck to the plan and God willing we did," Jackson said. "But, Miami Trace played tough and we still have to play them at our place. The SCOL is still wide-open."
Jackson said it was a physical game.
"It was very physical," he said. "We each had a player go down, but they both re-entered the game and that shows how bad both teams want to be in first place."
One of the big reasons for the SCOL win, the Tigers' fourth of the season, was the excellent play of their defense.
"Defensively we stuck together and played as four," Jackson said.
The defensive players Jackson talked about were: Jimmy Free, Steven Barber, Chris Wiseman, Scott Balzer and Shane Hall. Balzer and Hall shared responsibilities on defense this game with Balzer in the first half and Hall in the second half.
"The defense played hard and they hustled," Jackson said.
The 4-2-1 overall Tigers (4-0-1, SCOL) will take on the Madison-Plains Golden Eagles on Tuesday, Sept. 21 at MPHS in another SCOL game.
MT and McClain will meet again at McClain Field on Oct. 11 at 7 p.m.
SCORE BY HALF
MHS 2 3 — 5
MTHS 2 2 — 4[[In-content Ad]]