Wheelersburg ends magnificent season with loss to River View

John Bruce, Staff Writer

THE PLAINS — After a slow start that dug a 4-0 hole at halftime, Wheelersburg could have simply given up in Sunday’s Division IV regional championship game. 

However, the Pirates (20-2) showed their grit and character, cutting the lead in half before ultimately falling short as their season finished with a 4-2 loss against the River View Black Bears at Athens High School.

“I thought we felt ready. I thought we were ready,” Wheelersburg coach Jon Estep said. “But after kickoff, I felt like we were playing defensively, like we were on our heels a lot. We were just rushing things and it looked like, all of the sudden, we didn’t want the ball at our foot. But at halftime, we decided to challenge them. We were either going to show up to fight or lay down and get embarrassed.”

In the opening minutes, the Black Bears (19-1-2) were the first to get a touch on every ball, just being a step quicker all over the pitch. They were able to move the ball with crisp passes to control possession, while the Pirates looked a little shaky.

Because of that, the River View was able to pressure the outstanding Wheelersburg defense with regularity.  

Junior goalkeeper Breyden Byrd did what he typically does, making multiple standout saves, whether the shots were low or high. But despite the outstanding start from Byrd, eventually, the Black Bears broke through Byrd’s brick wall. 

With 24:12 to play, River View’s Cael Summers fired a shot that was deflected and eventually found the foot of Parker Andrews, who scored into the empty net to take an early lead. Just 68 seconds later, Summers was able to get a goal of his own to make it a 2-0 lead.

It was at that point, though, where it appeared the Pirates began to find their footing.

Seniors Ethan Hochstetler, Miller McKenzie and Carter Rawlins began to impact the game through the midfield, helping Wheelersburg start to gain some momentum, even while trailing.

The team’s steadfast striker, Nick Sylvia, was being double and triple-teamed whenever he got touches, so Hochstetler started to press the ball forward, getting a couple of good looks on goal, although with none crossing the goal line. 

“Ethan has done it a lot over his career,” Estep said. “He’s prepared his body for this better than anybody I know. The work ethic he’s put in to have to fight through all the bumps and bruises, it’s incredible. He was a spark for us.”

Late in the half, Sylvia was able to get his first shot on goal, which was negated by a save from Layton Massie in goal, starting a counterattack.

Massie sent the ball up the right sideline, where two quick passes ahead later, found its way to Hayden Walters, who was able to finish the shot with 2:45 to play in the half, making it a 3-0. Less than a minute later, River View’s Brody Stevens finished a rebound inside the box to take a 4-0 lead at the break. 

Wheelersburg had played well over the final 20 minutes of the first half, but the lead had only grown, which would have frustrated a team with less character.

“At halftime, we talked about, win or lose, leaving it out there,” Estep said. “For the next 40 minutes, we wanted to play the best soccer we’ve played. We had [River View] on their heels then. I’m extremely proud of how we played our last 40 minutes. But in championship games, you can’t play 40 minutes. You have to play 80 minutes. That got us today.”

The Pirates responded in a big way, with an early shot from Brody Wilburn that just missed the target in the opening minutes. That would just be a sign of things to come.

With 30:46 to play, Wilburn connected with Rawlins on the left side of the box. After a soft touch, Rawlins scorched a right-footed shot that beat Massie to the near post to provide life for the Pirates. 

Wheelersburg continued its push forward, with Hochstetler and Wilburn creating havoc in the middle, while Rawlins, Mason Billiter and Coleton Schwamburger did the same on the outside.

Eventually, the Pirates were rewarded with a corner kick with 15:34 to play. After a couple of redirections, defender Clark Weller headed the ball towards Wilburn, who hit a wicked volley to beat the keeper and make it a 4-2 game. 

River View responded by beginning to press forward again, trying to add to their lead. However, the combination of Weller, Andrew Tabor and seniors Carter Porter and Garrett Williams did what they did best … shut down the opponents’ attack.

The Black Bears were unable to get any serious looks in the second half, while the foursome helped the Pirates’ offense push forward as well. 

Ultimately, it would not be enough for the Pirates to complete a comeback. Wheelersburg continued to attack for the remainder of the contest, but wasn’t able to grace the scoreboard again.

Byrd closed his season with an outstanding 13 saves for the Pirates. 

“He learned how to play in this game as a freshman,” Estep said. “We were playing against Grandview Heights at this same level, and he was under fire a lot. He saved us on some goals and some shots that [River View] had. It gave our guys some extra confidence. He’s the backbone of our defense and our guys feed off him.”

The Pirates finish their season with Southern Ohio Conference and Division IV district championships, as well as a regional runner-up trpphy.

And while they will return standouts in Sylvia (57 goals, 19 assists) and Byrd (10 shutouts in 13 games), they will graduate six outstanding seniors in Hochstetler, McKenzie, Porter, Rawlins, Wilburn and Williams.

That group has undoubtedly left their mark on the program with four straight district championships.

“I told them that when they came in here as freshmen, they came into a solid program,” Estep said. “The program has continued to grow. They are leaving it better than they found it. They’ve learned from the classes before them but they’ve left their own mark. It’s bigger than today. The bond they’ve created, the family they’ve created, their mark they’ve left is bigger than today.”

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