Blair High School senior soccer player Crayton Macholan gave a status update Monday after the first match of the Class B-4 Subdistrict Tournament in South Sioux City.
“Still alive,” he said after going through the handshake line.
The second-seeded Bears beat No. 3 Norfolk Catholic/Lutheran High 4-1, advancing onto the subdistrict final against the host Cardinals — a team both Isaac Field and Colton Matney noted as one of Class B's best.
“We've just got to rise to the occasion,” said Matney, a senior midfielder, explaining how BHS needed to be ready to compete with SSC. “South Sioux might be the No. 1 team in the state, but they're not going to come out with more energy than us.”
“It's going to be a good game tomorrow,” Field added.
It was a close match through 40 minutes, too, but the Cardinals won, 4-1. They led just 1-0 with a first-half penalty kick, but added to their advantage with three more goals after the break.
Sakuto Yamada ultimately headed in a BHS goal off of a long Crayton Macholan free kick, but it was too little too late for the 8-8 Bears, who played 15-2 SSC tight on the Cardinals' home field.
The loss put coach Curt Scott's team into a position where it needed to wait and watch to see if the wild card standings would allow its season to continue into the district finals round. Its season ended, though, when they finished 17th with the top 16 teams advancing on. An update on Blair boys soccer will be published next Tuesday in the Washington County Pilot-Tribune.
Bears best Knights in opening round
BHS scored early and again late Monday against Norfolk Catholic, producing a 4-1 first-round victory.
“I just think we came in with a really positive energy today,” Matney said. “I feel like we really brought it.”
The Bears scored first during the sixth minute when Macholan unloaded a long free kick on the turf and into the box where Yamada found it. The senior exchange student from Japan got his foot on it, easily scoring the ball past the Knights' goalkeeper for a 1-0 advantage.
The goal advantage held through halftime and into the second 40 minutes before Blair freshman Lane Christensen unloaded another shot during the 58th minute. It deflected off Quinn Baedke and into the net for a 2-0 lead for Coach Scott's club.
The advantage only lasted for 9 minutes, though, as Norfolk Catholic finally scored during the 69th when Braden Feddem found the back of the net on a free kick. The goal cut the Bears' lead to just one, but, seemingly, reinvigorated the team, too.
“We started connecting and playing our own game,” Field said of the match's last 10 minutes. “When that happened, we found opportunities.”
The sophomore scored on his during the 71st minute when Yamada passed the ball to him in stride. Field finished the job from there, pushing Blair's lead back out to two goals, 3-1.
Then, just 3 minutes later, Matney hammered the ball off of the crossbar and into the goal for a three-goal margin of victory. He wound up on his back on the play, unable to see where his shot had ended up.
“I actually thought I missed the shot,” the senior captain said. “So, I was actually laying down in a little bit of frustration, but I heard some clapping.”
The Bear's teammates let him know what happened.
“First goal for the season,” Matney said. “It was a good one.”
Luke Donner, meanwhile, earned the win in goal. The freshman keeper notched a key save during the 24th minute with his chest and mitts before falling on another Knights scoring opportunity during the 54th.
CLASS B-4 SUBDISTRICT TOURNAMENT
Tuesday
South Sioux City 4, Blair 1
BHS (8-8) 0 1 — 1
SSC (15-2) 1 3 — 4
Goal: Blair: Sakuto Yamada.
Monday
Blair 4, Norfolk Catholic/Lutheran High 1
BHS (8-7) 1 3 — 4
NCLH (2-8) 0 1 — 1
Goals: Blair: Yamada, Quinn Baedke, Isaac Field and Colton Matney. Norfolk Catholic: Braden Feddem.
