The boys soccer team fell 2-1 to McIntosh in the Final Four of the state playoffs after conceding a goal in the last four minutes of the second half of overtime.
The Knights were down 1-0 going into the second half, but fought back with a goal towards the end of the second half. However, they couldn’t hold the lead through overtime and lost the match.
“The McIntosh game was lost in just two mental errors that can’t happen in a game against a team that will make you pay for those errors,” senior co-captain and centerback Brady Scheinfeld said.
Senior striker Miles Hadley said he agreed that the loss was because of small errors that could have been avoided.
“I felt frustrated after the game,” Hadley said. “I think we were definitely a better team than McIntosh, but we just had some unforced errors that cost us the game.”
The team started the season 1-4 going into region play. In region play, the team went 8-0 and were the 5-AAAAA Region Champions.
“Overall I would say the season went pretty well,” sophomore midfielder Isaac Marlowe said. “To not have such a great start to the season, but then win all our region games in a row, it really flipped our season around. Though the season didn’t end how we wished it had, it was a positive finish looking at it from earlier in the season.”
Going into the playoffs the Knights were the number one seed from Region 5-AAAAA, in the first match they faced off against fourth-seed Eastside winning 2-1. Head coach Josh DiGiovanni said the team overcame many challenges throughout the season.
“The team was able to put the negative start of the season behind them and tune out all of the negativities,” DiGiovanni said. “Injuries were a huge factor this year, but like anything in life they just had to keep going.”
Looking back on the season, Scheinfeld said the team made critical adjustments, which helped them become more successful.
“Specifically, I would highlight Isaac [Marlowe] because he was able to play everywhere this year,” Scheinfeld said. “He played in positions he disliked, but he improved the team drastically.”
Hadley said that as the season progressed, the chemistry and playstyle improved.
“[Throughout the season], the chemistry and the vibe of the team got 100 times better,” Hadley said. “At the beginning of the season, we were just playing soccer and we didn’t play as a team. I think we were more organized in the end. Once we had the chemistry, the way we played improved and our confidence was a lot better at the end of the season.”
After beating Eastside, the Knights played against Centennial in the Sweet Sixteen. The Knights went down 2-0 within the first 10 minutes, but the Knights managed to make it 2-1 going into halftime. During the beginning of the second half, Centennial went up 3-1. The Knights ended up coming back and ended up winning the game 4-3 within regular time.
“I usually would have been nervous in a situation like the Centennial game, but I wasn’t,” DiGiovanni said. “Even at 3-1 down, I felt like we were going to win. I was just really happy that two seniors scored our goals to come back and in front of all their friends.”
Defeating Centennial brought the Knights to the Elite Eight, where they faced off against Eagle’s Landing. The Knights won 8-1.
“Winning by such a big margin against a team in the third round of playoffs is a big achievement,” Marlowe said. “It gave the team a lot of confidence going into the McIntosh game.”
Although the Knights ended up losing to McIntosh and ending their season in the Final Four, Scheinfeld said he thinks it was a very good season.
“It’s sad that it didn’t end in a win,” Scheinfeld said. “I’m happy I went out with my childhood best friends and I left everything out on that field so I’m happy with that.”
