By Grant Traylor | Herald-Dispatch
BECKLEY, W.Va. — Cabell Midland goalkeeper Cameron Grobe is no stranger to being in the spotlight on Fridays.
Normally, the dual-sport standout is performing duties for the undefeated Knights’ football team on Fridays, but Grobe showed his clutch gene on the soccer pitch on Friday.
The effort put his Knights in the Class AAA boys soccer state championship where they will meet George Washington on Saturday.
Grobe made two saves during penalty kicks to give Cabell Midland a 4-2 win following a scoreless affair for 120 minutes
on the pitch at Paul
Cline Memorial Sports
Complex.
Grobe said the key for him was to be a calming factor for his team at the match’s penultimate point.
“I’m already confident, and I know my team is confident,” Grobe said. “I’m just trying to settle everyone down and make sure everyone else is okay before we go up there.”
In the game’s biggest moment, Grobe shined brightest.
On the first save, Grobe dove to the post at his left to deny University’s Drew Kemper to put the pressure on the Hawks.
His second involved stopping University’s Justin Parsons, who had been the most active offensive player for the Hawks. Grobe dove right and swallowed the shot, which pushed University to the brink.
Garrett Shields then put the stamp on the match when he found net, which sent the Knights flying to Grobe in celebration.
It was the end of a match that saw neither side able to convert through regulation and two overtimes, thanks to the play of two keepers — Grobe and University’s Timothy Bailey.
Grobe finished with eight saves in the match while Bailey had five saves.
While no tallies were notched, the action was continuous throughout the 120 minutes on the field as Cabell Midland’s possession-oriented offense kept University (16-6-1) from getting runs and set-pieces, which were a strong point.
Cabell Midland coach Brian McNeel said that patience is the key to his team’s success.
“They are a dynamic team when it comes to possessing the ball,” McNeel said. “If we haven’t gotten a goal in 15 minutes, we tell them to calm down and keep playing and keep working as a unit. Every single one of these players play for each other.”
Cabell Midland (14-4-2) established possession early, pushing the tempo over the first 20 minutes, but University had the best opportunities of the first half after a pair of Cabell Midland turnovers in their defensive end.
The teams went to intermission scoreless after Grobe came up with a pair of saves in the latter part of the first half to keep the sheet clean.
Both opportunities for the Hawks came off Cabell Midland turnovers in their own end.
In the 30th minute, a turnover inside its own 18 led to Parsons getting a clear look at net. However, Grobe sprawled to his left, sending the Hawks’ first shot just over the crossbar.
The play seemed to swing momentum as Parsons again took possession off a turnover and fired a low shot on net from 25 yards away that Grobe gobbled up.
Throughout, Parsons and University head coach Michael Smith said they felt as if the Hawks would break through due to their pressure.
“We seemed to take a few minutes to find our footing, but, I thought for the rest of the first half and portions of the second half, it felt like we were building to something,” Smith said. “Honestly, I thought a goal was coming the way we’ve done all season. You could just feel that it was going to turn in our direction. I’m a little surprised it didn’t.”
The match was the first of the day and took place in frigid conditions with match-start temperatures around 25 degrees.
