Heights offense comes up empty in final
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By Matt Michelone
For the Mirror
HOLLIDAYSBURG -- Much of Thursday night's District 6 Class 2A boys soccer championship was dependent on both defenses for Cambria Heights and Juniata.
Both sides had big stops that made the game feel like a staring contest at a times.
That was until about midway through the second half when Bryce Rush took a pass from Ricky Guante for the dagger as the Indians knocked off Cambria Heights, 1-0, to capture district gold at Tiger Stadium.
"We executed our defense extremely well, we clogged the middle, and we did take away the passing lanes," Cambria Heights coach Adam Strasser said. "Defensively, I couldn't have asked for any more. We knew that this would probably be a 2-1 type ball game. They snuck through, and they scored."
Juniata had a key scoring chance heading towards halftime when Arthur Hazard's shot hit the crossbar and was turned away. Both teams went to the break tied at the half.
"For us to find ourselves in a position with the lead with as much time that was on the clock, I'm really proud of how composed our guys stayed," Juniata coach Jared Byler said. "They acted like they've been here before, and quite frankly, none of them ever have."
Juniata had a pair of big scoring chances coming out of the half as Rush got an initial break before Caleb Patterson shut down the chance. That was later followed by a Calvin Decker opportunity that went wide with about 30 minutes in the game.
"We executed our defense extremely well, we clogged the middle, and we did take away the passing lanes," Strasser said. "Defensively, I couldn't have asked for anymore. We knew that this would probably be a 2-1 type ball game. They snuck through, and they scored."
"When they play five in the back, basically a three front and two sweeperbacks that hang an extra 20 yards back, that's really hard to break down, Byler said. "That's the way they're coached, and that's the way they play. It worked for them tonight, it kept it 0-0 for as long as it did."
The Highlanders had two prime opportunities of their own in the second half as Dylan Fyock had a break stuff by Wyatt Dessin with about 15 minutes in the half.
Nathan Farabaugh had another prime opportunity of his own, but that was broken up with a solid slide from Ty Shellenberger.
"We did string together passes, we had some shots on the goal, we had the header with three minutes left in the game. If there's any time left on the clock, I felt we had a chance to tie this thing," Strasser said.
Strasser, despite the loss, couldn't have been prouder of his team.
"Today it stings, because losing this district championship game, but ultimately thinking about the season, I ultimately couldn't be prouder of these guys. If I could do it all over, I'd want to coach these same guys in the same situations," he said.
Heights will say goodbye to a 10-man senior class that have made an impact that goes beyond the soccer field.
"They were a group of kid that worked hard since their freshmen year," Strasser said. "They're just the ultimate, well-rounded students, too. There are so many kids in this senior class that are involved in so many other sports, they're involved in clubs, they're involved in theatre, band."
To their coach, they are more than soccer players.
"We have Eagle Scouts, we have just kids that are involved in so much. They were kids that over these four years I loved coaching each and every one of them, and I'm so proud of the men they became," he said.
SCORE BY HALVES
Juniata…………………………………………0 1 - 1
Cambria Heights…………………………..0 0 - 0
Second Half: J - Rush (Guante), 55:41.
Records: Juniata (11-9-1), Cambria Heights (13-7-1).