Bowers Powers Steubenville To Win Over John Marshall

Big Red Senior Scores Half Of Team’s Goals In 8-0 Rout Of Monarchs

MOUNDSVILLE - Steubenville boys' soccer coach Greg Bowers was worried coming into Saturday's match against homestanding John Marshall. It's been a busy week for his team.

Bowers' worries were short-lived as his youngest son, Landon, scored a first-half hat trick and the defense did the rest in an 8-0 shutout of the Monarchs (3-7) on the artificial pitch at sun-baked Monarch Stadium.

"It took us a little bit to get going. This was our fourth game in the last five days," Coach Bowers explained. "We had to get our legs back under us."

Steubenville went 3-0-1 during the week, with the draw coming on Thursday with Beaver Local.

The four-goal output gives Landon Bowers 24 net-finders this season, just a dozen off the program mark set just last season by his older brother, Cole, who is a kicker for the Army football team.

"He's on pace to break that mark, but Landon is also unselfish," his coach/father said. "We get a lot of kids involved in the play. That will help us when we get into the OVAC Tournament and the postseason."

Every player on the Big Red (6-1-1) roster logged time against the Monarchs.

Landon Bowers controlled the ball near the top of the box before spinning away from a defender and letting loose a cannon of a shot that zipped past John Marshall goalkeeper Manuel Ramos in the ninth minute.

Four minutes after hitting the post to the left of Ramos, Bowers tickled the twine from point-blank range off a nifty cross from Joel Elliot deep in the right corner as the margin increased to 2-0.

Bowers completed his hat trick in the 37th minute and then picked up a goal in the 44th minute when he dribbled into the box and watched as a John Marshall defender collided with the goalkeeper, with the ball trickling into the open net.

Jackson Smith made it 5-0 when he hustled to a loose ball before sending it into the cage from the left side of the box.

Chase Beall and Kason Stackhouse tacked on the final two net-finders for Steubenville.

"It's the same old story. We play well for the first 30 minutes, but then we fall apart," first-year John Marshall head coach Dave Petro said. "We'are a really young team with 15 freshman. It's going to take some time. We had some kids banged up, one with a concussion, but that's no excuse. The other kids have to show up to play, and they didn't today.

"We'll get back in the drawing room and see what we can do about it."

Beall also logged a pair of assists, while Bowers, Cedric Peckens, Thomas Lucas, Gabe Loot and Teddy Gorman all had one helper.

Steubenville starting goalkeeper JJ Lamantia didn't face a shot during his time between the pipes. Brayden Hayes made two in his stint.

"JJ didn't have to make any saves," Coach Bowers noted. "Luca (Holt) and Tommy (Lucas) did the job controlling the middle of the field in the back row. They are both seniors and have been back there for a while now."

John Marshall's Ramos and Evan Gatts combined to make 12 stops.

Steubenville's next game is Tuesday at Harding Stadium versus Wheeling Park at 6:30 p.m.