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Two Down For Wheeling Central, Now Onto Boys Soccer Regional Final

WHEELING -- There's a simple arithmetic in the heads of the Wheeling Central Maroon Knights boys soccer team.

One game at a time, five to the end goal.

"It’s one of the things we strive for," Wheeling Central head coach Brian Komorowski said. "It’s one of the things that was one of our goals, get to the regional final, and from there get down to Beckley and try to get back to where we were last year.

"We know it takes five wins to win a state championship, and you got to take one at a time. That’s two. Third game is on Thursday."

Game No. 2 on Wheeling Central's quest was a smashing success Tuesday at 16th Street Field as the Maroon Knights advanced to the WVSSAC Class AA/A Region 1 Final with a 7-0 victory over the visiting Oak Glen Golden Bears.

Wheeling Central controlled the game for the vast majority of play Tuesday.

"They’re a good team, they’re a good program," Oak Glen head coach Camden Barr said. "They really dominated, controlled the outsides of the field, got a lot of crossers into the dangerous area, just punished us for it. I’m never really concerned with the results, to be honest. I’m just concerned with the guys getting better every game, and I think we showed that a little bit in the second half.

"First half, not so much, but we came out in the second half, gave it all they had, and at the end of the day, that’s all you can ask for."

Wheeling Central led 5-0 at halftime.

"We’ve been working and training a lot on the outside play," Komorowski said. "Trying to move some people around and see-- we've been tinkering for a few weeks and all the pieces are starting to come together."

It took nine minutes for Wheeling Central to get on the board, Cooper Crews booting in a goal off of a Maddox Ochap crosser.

Luke Hevener was next to put one through for Central, corralling a pass from JD Schoolcraft squarely in front of the goal, and after a few tapping touches to free up enough space against a Golden Bears defender, the freshman ripped a shot through the net in the 13th minute.

Central's next score followed some calamity. Hevener put a shot on goal which was deflected by Oak Glen goalkeeper Jackson O'Rourke, but bounded into a crowd just in front of the goal. A Golden Bear defender tried to kick the ball clear of the danger, but the ball instead bounced off a couple of bodies-- and into the back of the net. Jaden Bosley was credited with the goal in the 25th minute.

JD Schoolcraft scored the next four goals for Wheeling Central. He put a pair through the net in the 28th and 37th minutes, and then struck again in the second half, coming through in the 44th and 58th minute.

"I want to say the first 15 minutes, I don’t know if [the ball] crossed midfield," Komorowski said. "We dominated the game, really possessed the ball well, didn’t put the ball in the net. I think we put it in once in the first 15 minutes, but our play was so strong, our possession was so strong, and we were just pressing really well."

Wheeling Central, the top seed in the Region, will face No. 2 Williamstown on Thursday for the Regional title.

For Oak Glen, the Golden Bears' run ends in the Regional semis with a 10-9-1 record.

"We came a long way," Barr said. "The guys worked really hard. I’m in my first year as the coach, so it’s never fun having coach turnover, learning how to play an entire new system. They adapted quickly, they put their heads down, they got to work, and they improved a lot. I’m really happy with the season they had, and I’m really happy with how much better they got as a team."