Wheeling Central’s Season Closes With Tough Loss To St. Joseph Central
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BECKLEY — For 43 minutes, the Wheeling Central Catholic Maroon Knights boys’ soccer team held firm to its game plan against top-seeded St. Joseph Central in the Class AA-A semifinal match in the West Virginia Secondary Schools Activities Commission state soccer championships.
That changed following a free kick at the top of the box by St. Joseph’s Gabe Miller, who hit a blistering squibbler that took an odd bounce and found the back of the net, just past the outstretched fingers of goalie Tino Sperlazza.
Miller followed that goal with three more, leading St. Joseph to a 4-0 victory over the Maroon Knights. The two teams faced off last year in the Class AA-A finals, a game also won by the team from Huntington.
Wheeling had its best scoring chance in the 70th minute when senior defender Carter Oliver dribbled through the defense and let loose a stinging shot from the top of the box. St. Joseph’s keeper got a fingernail on it, directing it just over the net. Central also had a good scoring chance in the final minutes that went just wide.
Central coach Brian Komorowski said he was proud of how hard his team worked throughout the match. “We played really well in the first half. Second half, we came out strong, but they got the free kick and scored, and we knew once they got a goal we had to bring pressure forward. And once you start pushing forward, you’re more exposed in the back,” he said.
“We’ve played them four times in two years. We know who they are and how strong they are — they’re a senior-heavy team and we’re relatively young. We prepared knowing that, and we kept them in check in the first half. But (Miller’s) a very good player, and he made plays. That hurt us.”
Komorowski also pointed out how far his team has come under this year’s seniors, as this season marked their third trip to the state tournament in four years.
“This senior class has been so strong and has worked so hard. Every year we’ve gotten a little better, and I put that on their shoulders, the time they’ve put in. We had an unfortunate draw this year with St. Joe’s in the semifinals, but we played them hard and I’m proud of what we accomplished this season.”