Pioneers edged in district semis
SPARTA — After pulling out a 1-0 nail-biter to reach the District 7-AAA soccer semifinals on Wednesday, Warren County found itself on the losing end of an equally narrow contest Thursday night.
The Pioneers battled through 80 minutes, but in the end Riverdale advanced to the tournament’s championship game with a 1-0 victory.
“This is the way the last game with Riverdale went,” said coach Charlie Hardee, whose squad finished its 2003 season with a record of 6-8-1. “They’ve got a good bunch. (Ali Arman’s) a good coach, and they don’t ever quit.”
Hardee noted fatigue from two straight hard-fought games might have played a factor in Thursday night’s tilt, which was scoreless until midway through the second half.
“We played a hard game last night to get here, and we were a little tired,” he said. “Our legs were dead.
“Being off for three days hurt us, and I would’ve liked to have had a night off and been able to play with a night’s rest, but there are a lot of things I would’ve liked to have had that we didn’t have.
“But you play with the cards you’re dealt, you dance with the one that brought you, and I had a pretty good prom with this bunch this year.”
Riverdale’s Brian Campbell came through with the game’s only goal, scoring on a direct kick that sailed just over the outstretched arms of Pioneer goalkeeper Jonathan Bratcher. The Warriors were awarded the kick after Warren County was called for a handball in the goal box.
With Riverdale on the board, the Pioneers attacked the Warrior goal with a sense of desperation, and found themselves winning the battle for possession through most of the second half.
As the final moments of the game wound down, Tatsuro Kusunoki found himself with an open shot from the left side, but a Warrior defender slid in to help knock the ball off-line. The rebound of Kusunoki’s shot stayed in front of the Warrior goal and was almost headed in by junior Alex Guthrie, but Tyler Campbell dove to smother the ball, and ended the Pioneers’ chance at tying the game.
“The boys played well,” Hardee said. “I’d have loved to have had a little more legs under them, but that’s just the way things go. We had a chance late, and we even had a couple of opportunities to score in the first half, we just didn’t finish on them.”
The game marked the end of the high school careers of seniors Jerry Dixon, Lucas Griffith, Ryle Chastain, David Bradshaw and Sampson Hitchcock. Hardee credited his outgoing players with helping shape the younger Pioneers into a team with great potential.
“This bunch is young,” he said. “Our seniors have laid a foundation where starting real soon, we can start working on next year.
“This is a good crew. I’ve told this bunch I think there is championship talent here, and I still believe that. We just didn’t have the cards lay for us the right way tonight.”
“I’m proud of them, I don’t want them to hang their heads,” he continued, “but with the character this group has, it’s going to hurt them. But you can’t make steel without putting it in fire, and I think that’s what this group is coming to.”