Olathe soccer teams miss out on state tourney

Source: The Star

Keith Myers | Staff

Brett Robertson (left) of Olathe South was consoled by teammate Trey Bristow after the Falcons lost to Shawnee Mission Northwest on Tuesday in the Kansas 6A quarterfinals.

more boys soccer...

you might also like...

The final weekend of the Kansas boys soccer season has arrived and for the first time since 2006, there is no Olathe team playing in the 6A semifinals.

Olathe South came the closest, reaching the quarterfinals for the third consecutive season, but Shawnee Mission Northwest ended the Falcons’ bid for a second straight state title Tuesday.

South had beaten the Cougars, 12-7, in two prior meetings this season a 2-1 victory in the season’s second game, a semifinal showdown at the Olathe Soccer Tournament, and a 1-0 win during Sunflower League play, the Cougars’ only loss in the last eight games after a 5-6 start.

SM Northwest, which knocked out Olathe East in regional play, turned the tables on the Falcons with a 2-1 win at the Olathe District Activity Center, eliminating the last of the city’s squad.

“I’m proud of my guys,” South coach Will Stoskopf said. “They didn’t quit. They didn’t give up. We were short-handed, but we didn’t make any excuses. We came out and battled. ... We just ran out of time, but we never stopped working and fighting to get chances.”

The Falcons finished 15-4 overall.

Out of four Olathe programs, three teams finished with at least 10 victories. The Hawks, who were the state runners-up last year, finished the campaign 15-2-1 and Olathe Northwest wound up 10-7-1.

Only one other district in the state can make that claim. Wichita Northwest (11-6-1), Wichita East (14-5) and Wichita Southeast (13-5) also reached double digits for wins.

Of course, neither Olathe nor the Wichita district was represented this weekend at the 6A state tournament, which continues Saturday at the Blue Valley District Activities Complex.

“I don’t think it’s so shocking,” Hawks coach Terry Hair said. “There are a lot of good teams out there that are always continually good and strong. There is a lot of luck that goes along with getting to Final Four.”

That is especially true in Northeast Kansas, which includes most of Johnson County.

“In the Northeast region, the 12 schools that have to fight for three (quarterfinal) spots is the hardest region in the state. Year in and year out, eight or nine of those schools, you might as well say it’s a toss-up game on any given night,” Hair said.

“There are no guarantees. Winning is a very fragile thing and soccer is a different sport, where one mistake can cost you a game.”

Hair, of course, would rather be competing in the state tourney, but he plans to go and watch some of the action and root for his fellow league coaches Jason Pendleton at Free State and Todd Boren at SM Northwest and their programs to march on.

“You hurt for your seniors who never get another chance to put on a Hawks jersey,” Hair said. “You second guess yourself, what could you have done as a coach to enhance those players’ chance to be there right now. But there are no sour grapes and you don’t feel disheartened.

“We’re proud of the tradition and program that Olathe East players have been part of and helped create. A lot of coaches would love to have the talent that I have year in and year out. 15-2-1 is a great season, but it wasn’t meant to be. It wasn’t for a lack of our players trying.”

- 2009-11-06 17:40:01