WHEELING – There are times in sports – especially at the high school level – when two teams leave everything they had on the playing field, but only one can walk away a winner.
Such was the case Thursday night at chill-filled Wheeling Island Stadium where, with one strong swing of his right leg, Wilson Hanna erased a bad memory and created an emotional celebration on the artificial surface.
The Wheeling Park junior forward sent a direct kick from 23 yards into the top left corner of the net, lifting the No. 1 Patriots to a hard-fought, 1-0, double-overtime victory over No. 2 Morgantown in the W.Va. Class AAA Region I, Section I championship match. The goal came after the teams had battled toes-to-toe for 94 minutes.
Hanna was in the same situation a year ago but failed to convert. This time, there was no doubt about it.
“I had the same opportunity last year and kicked the ball over the top of the net. I felt like I let my teammates down. This time I knew exactly where I was going (with the ball) and I just buried it,” Hanna said of his game-winner, which touched off a wild celebration by the Patriots, while several Mohigans lay on the turf broken-hearted.
“When it (the ball) went in it didn’t feel real … it still doesn’t,” he admitted. “I’m soaking it all in with my teammates. It’s amazing. It’s the biggest goal of my career so far.”
The final outcome was not what Morgantown head coach Samuel Snyder wanted to see, but he was very appreciative of the effort his team displayed.
“We wanted to show that we can play like champions. We wanted to show that we know what it feels like to walk away with your heads up,” he said. “We did everything in our power to make that happen, but sometimes that’s the way soccer goes.
“Wheeling Park is very deserving of this win. We tried to be deserving. The difference is margins and the margins went their way.”
With the cherished win, the Patriots (19-3) advance to the Region I semifinals next Thursday at Monarch Stadium in Moundsville against the Region I, Section II winner.
“There’s a lot on the line this time of year and Morgantown is our rival,” Wheeling Park head coach Mario Julian said. “It’s hard to beat a team three times in the same season and they came in here with a plan to beat us. They defended really well. They attacked very well, but we got the goal and that’s what counted.”
Julian said he wouldn’t want anyone else but Hanna in that situation.
“Wilson practices that shot all the time. This might be the first one he’s made all season, but he’s been close,” Julian added. “He’s hit the post a couple of times. He’s hit the crossbar a couple of times, but he finally got one to go in tonight.
“That was some redemption for him tonight, no doubt. It was a clear, clean strike that was beautiful.
Morgantown (15-3-3) saw its season end. Goalkeeper Luke Plevich had eight saves.
“Our three losses have come to Wheeling Park. They are a good team, and we took them to the very end,” Snyder noted.
One reason Morgantown fell short was the play of Wheeling Park goalkeeper Gavin Border, who finished with 14 saves, two outstanding diving efforts in the first overtime, and an early save in the second extra session.
“He made that diving save in overtime. That kid had a point-blank shot, and Gavin was ready for it,” Julian said, referring to the stop on Morgantown’s Colin Petsko. “That was a big-time save. That gave his teammates an opportunity to win it, and they responded with a goal for him.”
By Kim North (The Intelligencer)
