PHS wins sectional crown

By MATT LOCKE

PARKERSBURG— One set play — a corner kick — proved to be the difference in the Region IV, Section 4 final in Parkersburg’s 1-0 win over Parkersburg South at Stadium Field Thursday night.

In the 57th minute, Derik Craft’s third corner kick in a row yielded the game’s only goal thanks to a perfectly timed header from Big Red senior midfielder Evan McGee. The Big Reds (18-2-2) cranked up the offensive pressure in the second half and the Patriots (12-7-3) were unable to keep the goal clear.

“I tell the kids, set plays can be the difference in close games and tonight it was the difference,” PHS coach Don Fosselman said of the Big Reds’ sectional title-winning goal.

The Big Reds now look forward to homefield advantage when Huntington visits Stadium Field at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Though the match was only the sectional final, it played like a state championship final. Throughout the first half, it looked like every other PHS-South match this season — dead even. So even that the first half yielded only one shot on goal from each team.

Play remained in the middle third in the first half. Each time Parkersburg made a run the Patriot defense stepped up and South went back the other way, and vice versa. But once again the scales tipped in favor of the defending state champion Big Reds, who finished 2007 with a 2-0-1 record against the Patriots.

Though the Patriot defensive effort held strong for 57 minutes, two key Patriot starters were sidelined due to injury. Senior Doug Teter, who returned for the first time since sustaining an injury last week, was back in full force before falling to injury two minutes into the match. Senior stopper Craig Zell, who was sidelined in the sectional semifinal, came in from the bench to support his team as a midfielder.

Though Teter and Zell’s attacking style was missed, the South defensive core, including senior defenders Brandyn Gilbert and Trenton Tunnell, along with sophomore midfielder Matt Kestner, stepped up in their absence. Kestner directly challenged the play of PHS senior midfielder Michael Pitrolo and Gilbert greatly reduced the effectiveness of Big Red offensive weapon Cody Brown.

The Patriots’ biggest problem were all of the different looks the Big Reds created in the second half including two close shots by freshman midfielder Shae McGee. McGee’s first shot was a rebound that cleared the cross bar and his second sailed wide.

The Big Reds outshot the Patriots 6-1 in the second half, but Patriot goalie Derek Ayers made several close saves to keep South in the game.

The Patriots made one last run in the second half, but defensive pressure forced Ethan Rinehart’s shot wide right and the Big Reds held on for the 1-0 win.

“It was just the opposite of Tuesday,” South coach Bill Matthews said. “They left it all out there and I couldn’t be prouder of the way they tried.”

Friday, October 19, 2007