AHSAA SOCCER: Trinity's season ends with loss to St. Michael's; MA advances
Trinity’s Bo Stewart moves past a defender in the Wildcats’ defeat on Tuesday. (Tim Gayle)
By TIM GAYLE
Since starting the season with four losses and a tie, the Trinity boys’ soccer team has held its own with some of the best teams in the state, losing only to a pair of teams (St. Luke’s Episcopal and Montgomery Academy) that are still alive in the state playoffs.
On Tuesday, the Wildcats’ promising season came to an end as St. Michael’s scored a first-half goal, then added two more in the final 16 minutes of the contest to defeat the Wildcats 3-1 at Ragsdale-Boykin Field.
Trinity ends the season at 19-7-1. St. Michael’s will play area rival Bayside Academy in the 4A quarterfinals later in the week, with the winner advancing to the state tournament in Huntsville.
“They’re good,” Trinity coach Dann Cleveland said. “You could tell they were a step ahead of us. Their touches were clean. We played really well. We had chances, weren’t able to put them in.”
The Wildcats would get four opportunities in the final 10 minutes of the contest, but the Cardinals’ defense was up to the task of holding Trinity’s top scorer in check.
Jackson Champion had a penalty kick with 9:56 remaining but the kick bounced off the top of the goal. Nearly two minutes later, Champion’s header was over the goal. After a St. Michael’s score made it 3-0, Champion assisted Lawson Roth on a goal with 5:39 remaining, but the Cardinal defense continued to stifle the Trinity offense.
Champion, who came into the contest with 121 career goals, was held scoreless.
“He has a knack for it,” Cleveland said. “Kudos to them for shutting him down. We had to play defensively because they had some good offensive power.”
Trinity loses 12 seniors, including Champion, off a team that won 19 of its final 22 games after suffering three one-goal losses in the first week of the season.
“We played high (caliber teams), then got in the area and fought around a bit,” Cleveland said. “We played Auburn (winning 1-0) and some really good teams and competed with them fairly well. On any given night, this team can play with most anybody. We played hard. I’m not sad at the effort. Tonight, they were just better than we were.”
Montgomery Academy 3, Wetumpka 0
WETUMPKA -- Lucas Rizzo, Win Berry and Brewer Welch all had goals to lead the Eagles to a 3-0 shutout of the Indians at the Wetumpka Sports Complex on Tuesday.
Montgomery Academy (19-2-2) will return home to play Theodore in the 6A quarterfinals at McLemore Field on Friday at 7 p.m.
Rizzo’s goal was assisted by Bobby Eskridge, while Berry scored with an assist from Ethan Yi and Welch’s goal was assisted by Braxton Welch.
AHSAA QUARTERFINAL SOCCER PAIRINGS
GIRLS
CLASS 1A-3A
Susan Moore (21-1-1) vs. Clements (14-3)
Westminster-Oak Mountain (14-5) vs. Westbrook Christian (15-4-1)
St. James (23-1-2) vs. Tuscaloosa Academy (18-4)
Cottage Hill Christian (13-4-2) vs. Houston Academy (19-1-4)
CLASS 4A
Westminster Christian (12-4-1) at St. John Paul II (16-3)
Westbrook Christian at Jacksonville (11-3-1)
Montevallo (11-7) at American Christian (11-4)
St. Michael Catholic (16-4) at Trinity (13-4-3)
CLASS 5A
Guntersville (15-5-1) vs. East Limestone (19-2)
John Carroll (13-8-3) vs. Springville (18-2)
Marbury (22-2) vs. Sylacauga (19-3-1)
Gulf Shores (17-9) vs. Faith Academy
CLASS 6A
Randolph (11-3-1) at Fort Payne (7-12)
Homewood (16-4-1) at Gardendale (11-7)
Briarwood Christian (16-3-1) at Northridge (16-4-1)
Montgomery Academy (15-3-1) at Spanish Fort (21-1-2)
CLASS 7A
Bob Jones (11-4-2) vs. Sparkman (18-4)
Spain Park (12-3-2) vs. Oak Mountain (20-2)
Dothan (16-5) vs. Auburn (12-4)
Fairhope (11-4) vs. McGill-Toolen (14-5)
BOYS
CLASS 1A-3A
Susan Moore (15-4-3) vs. Tanner (19-4)
Westminster-Oak Mountain (10-9-1) vs. Collinsville (16-3-4)
Prattville Christian (6-10) vs. Tuscaloosa Academy (17-5-1)
St. Luke’s Episcopal (19-5-2) vs. Houston Academy (21-3-1)
CLASS 4A
St. John Paul II (12-4-1) at Westminster Christian (15-6)
Westbrook Christian (10-9-3) at White Plains (11-4)
Oneonta (15-7-2) at Montevallo (14-3-1)
St. Michael Catholic at Bayside Academy (14-1-3)
CLASS 5A
Guntersville (22-3-1) vs. Russellville (15-2-1)
John Carroll (17-7-3) vs. Southside-Gadsden
Elmore County (10-12-1) vs. Sylacauga (17-8)
Gulf Shores (21-6) vs. Faith Academy
CLASS 6A
Fort Payne (23-2-2) at Randolph (13-4-3)
Homewood (17-4-2) at Gardendale (14-5-1)
Calera (13-3-1) at McAdory (15-5-1)
Theodore (16-1-3) at Montgomery Academy (18-2-1)
CLASS 7A
Huntsville (12-8-4) vs. Bob Jones (12-8-2)
Hoover (12-7-3) vs. Oak Mountain (18-2-2)
Dothan (22-3-1) vs. Auburn (11-6-2)
Davidson (12-8-5) vs. Daphne (14-3-2)
AHSAA SECOND-ROUND SOCCER PLAYOFFS
GIRLS
CLASS 6A
Randolph 2, Hazel Green 1
Fort Payne 3, Gadsden City 0
Gardendale 1, Mortimer Jordan 0
Homewood 3, Mountain Brook 2
Briarwood Christian 5, Indian Springs 0
Northridge 7, Calera 5
Montgomery Academy 9, Pike Road 0
Spanish Fort 1, Saraland 0
BOYS
CLASS 6A
Randolph 2, Hazel Green 1
Fort Payne 2, Hartselle 0
Gardendale 8, Clay-Chalkville 1
Homewood 4, Mountain Brook 0
McAdory 1, Pelham 0
Calera 4, Northridge 2
Montgomery Academy 3, Wetumpka 0
Theodore 2, Spanish Fort 1
AHSAA FIRST-ROUND SOCCER PLAYOFFS
GIRLS
CLASS 1A-3A
Susan Moore 7, Madison Academy 3
Clements 4, Danville 0
Westminster-Oak Mountain 6, Donoho 0
Westbrook Christian 10, White Plains 0
St. James 8, Prattville Christian 0
Tuscaloosa Academy 8, Alabama Christian 1
Cottage Hill 5, Providence Christian 1
Houston Academy 3, St. Luke's Episcopal 2 (2OT)
CLASS 4A
Westminster Christian 4, Mars Hill Bible 2
St. John Paul II 10, West Morgan 0
Jacksonville 3, Cherokee County 0
Altamont 4, Collinsville 1
American Christian 5, Fultondale 0
Montevallo 2, Oneonta 1
Trinity Presbyterian 3, Orange Beach 0
St. Michael Catholic 6, Catholic 1
CLASS 5A
Guntersville 7, Russellville 0
East Limestone 10, Arab 0
John Carroll 4, Southside-Gadsden 1
Springville 8, Moody 0
Marbury 3, Elmore County 1
Sylacauga 4, Beauregard 0
Gulf Shores 10, Eufaula 0
Faith Academy 2, Carroll 0
CLASS 6A
Randolph 10, Buckhorn 0
Hazel Green 4, Athens 0
Gadsden City 3, Hartselle 2
Fort Payne 3, Cullman 0
Gardendale 4, Pinson Valley 1
Mortimer Jordan 13, Huffman 0
Homewood 10, Shades Valley 0
Mountain Brook 10, Parker 0
Indian Springs 3, McAdory 0
Briarwood Christian 11, Hueytown 0
Calera 10, Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa 0
Northridge 3, Benjamin Russell 0
Pike Road 3, Wetumpka 0
Montgomery Academy 12, Stanhope Elmore 0
Saraland 2, Robertsdale 0
Spanish Fort 10, Theodore 0
CLASS 7A
Bob Jones 1, Huntsville 0
Sparkman 2, James Clemens 1
Spain Park 3, Vestavia Hills 1
Oak Mountain 2, Hoover 1
Dothan 5, Opelika 2
Auburn 5, Prattville 0
Fairhope 1, St. Paul’s Episcopal 0
McGill-Toolen 4, Baker 0
BOYS
CLASS 1A-3A
Susan Moore 1, Elkmont 0
Tanner 9, Geraldine 0
Westminster-Oak Mountain 4, Donoho 0
Collinsville 2, Tarrant 1
Prattville Christian 4, Alabama Christian 2
Tuscaloosa Academy 3, St. James 2
St. Luke’s Episcopal 9, Providence Christian 3
Houston Academy 2, Cottage Hill Christian 0
CLASS 4A
St. John Paul II 2, Mars Hill Bible 1
Westminster Christian 5, West Morgan 2
White Plains 2, Cherokee County 0
Westbrook Christian 4, Jacksonville 0
Montevallo 3, Fultondale 2
Oneonta 4, American Christian 0
Bayside Academy 4, Catholic 0
St. Michael Catholic 3, Trinity 1
CLASS 5A
Guntersville 3, Brewer 2
Russellville 2, Boaz 1
John Carroll 4, Springville 0
Southside-Gadsden 8, Leeds 3
Elmore County 4, Marbury 0
Sylacauga 2, Brewbaker Tech 1
Gulf Shores 6, Eufaula 1
Faith Academy 2, Carroll 1
CLASS 6A
Randolph 5, Buckhorn 2
Hazel Green 5, Muscle Shoals 0
Fort Payne 5, Cullman 0
Hartselle 3, Gadsden City 1
Gardendale 5, Pinson Valley 1
Clay-Chalkville 4, Center Point 1
Homewood 6, Pell City 0
Mountain Brook 10, Parker 0
McAdory 6, Indian Springs 5
Pelham 10, Bessemer City 0
Calera 1, Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa 0
Northridge 3, Benjamin Russell 0
Wetumpka 4, Pike Road 2
Montgomery Academy 4, Stanhope Elmore 0
Theodore 2, Robertsdale 1
Spanish Fort 7, Murphy 0
CLASS 7A
Huntsville 2, James Clemens 0
Bob Jones 2, Grissom 1
Hoover 2, Chelsea 0
Oak Mountain 4, Vestavia Hills 1
Dothan 5, Opelika 0
Auburn 3, Enterprise 1
Davidson 3, Fairhope 2
Daphne 3, Baker 1