photo by: Kim North

St. Clairsville’s Camden Judge (12) battles his way through a pair of River View defenders during the second half of Wednesday night’s Ohio Division IV, Region 13 semifinal match on the artificial surface at McFarland Stadium in Cambridge. The Red Devils fell, 3-0, to the Black Bears, ending their season at 17-2-1.

CAMBRIDGE – It just wasn’t meant to be Wednesday night.

Top-seeded St. Clairsville saw its third regional tournament appearance end with a 3-0 loss to No. 2 River View in the Ohio Division IV, Region 13 semifinals at the soggy artificial pitch at McFarland Stadium in Guernsey County.

The Red Devils (17-2-1) saw their superb season come to an abrupt end at the hands of the defending state champion Black Bears (11-5-5), who move on to Sunday’s regional finals against the Wheelersburg, which doubled up Unioto, 4-2, in the other semifinal on Wednesday. That match will be played at Chieftain Stadium at Logan High School.

“The bounces definitely didn’t go our way tonight,” St. Clairsville head coach Jeff Roberts said. “River View was the better team tonight. We made a few adjustments at the half and I thought we played better in the second half, but it was a little too late.”

River View’s Camden Murphy scored goals in the 14th and 24th minutes to give River View a 2-0 lead at the half. The Black Bears totalled seven shots in the first 40 minutes to just one for St. Clairsville.

“They are solid and hard to score on,” Roberts noted of the Black Bears. “They were a physical team and, obviously, the best team we faced. I wouldn’t have minded going through the defending state champion to get there (the Final Four), but it just wasn’t our night.”

The Black Bears added to their advantage in the 45th minute when Bodey Richard, who assisted on the second goal, sent a shot from the right wing that deflected off the fingers of St. Clairsville goalkeeper Talan Rice before trickling into the cage.

Rice was credited with nine saves.

St. Clairsville finished with three shots on goal as River View goalkeeper Layton Massie recorded a clean sheet.

Despite the loss, Roberts was proud of his team.

“It was a fantastic season. We had the best season as far as winning percentage goes, I just wished it would’ve ended a little differently,” Roberts added. “The boys gave it everything they had. It just wasn’t our night.”

MATCH NOTES

– During St. Clairsville’s last regional appearance, in 2021, the Red Devils defeated River View in a shootout before falling to Chillicothe Unioto.

– St. Clairsville also appeared in the 2000 when it fell to Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit, 5-0. CFWJ finished as state runnerup.