Brock Netter, Staff Writer
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
CHILLICOTHE — Unioto had two goals entering Thursday — stopping Alexander’s Kyler D’Augustino and punching its ticket to district action.
CREDIT: Derrick Webb/SOSA
Check. Check.
The Shermans (17-1) marked the Spartans’ standout forward all night, never letting him get into the open field with a head full of steam. Meanwhile, offensively, River Pettigrew and Lucas Hanes shouldered the load to lead the Shermans to a 3-0 victory in a Division II sectional final.
“Playing a team with one dominant player can be tough, but we did a great job of shutting him down,” Unioto assistant coach Galen Dills said. “Our boys came out playing fast and hard from the beginning, setting the tone in the first 20 minutes. This was a tough fight, but the boys gave 100 percent effort and that’s all we can ask from them.”
Unioto understood how Alexander was going to play and knew every move it was making, mainly because the two teams battled last Tuesday with the Shermans earning a 4-2 win.
This time was a much different story.
Unioto’s Cameron Thompson spent all night taking on the challenge of defending D’Augustino, and despite the physical size difference, the junior defender understood his angles and used his veteran instincts to thwart any chance of a goal.
“He’s such a big, physical player, much bigger than me. So I knew that I just had to give him some space and cut in every time I saw my moment,” Thompson said. “We had other defenders marking him, but any chance that he got past them, I was ready to make a play.”
Neither team was getting many good looks in the run of play at a goal, but Unioto started to build momentum and finally fired off a pair of shots.
Though they missed the net early, that wasn’t going to happen much longer.
Following a corner kick from Hanes, the ball sailed over most of Alexander’s defensemen and found the head of Pettigrew, who finished for a 1-0 lead at halftime.
That duo wasn’t finished just yet.
Less than 10 minutes into the second half, it was Hanes on the receiving end of a Pettigrew feed, and he did the rest to push the lead to 2-0.
Hanes had one final goal in him, and J.C. Stark found him streaking down the field.
With the ball at Hanes’ feet, he made a move, dodged Alexander’s goalie and kicked into a wide open net for his 43rd goal this season, putting the finishing touches on a sectional title victory.
“River’s goal right there was exactly what we needed and gave us a ton of momentum,” Dills said. “Both guys really fed off of one another and played a great game. Sometimes with a 2-0 lead, there’s still some worry because one missed ball can easily turn the game around, but our guys did a good job of closing.”
Unioto advances to a Division II district semifinal against Gallia Academy, who advanced with a 2-0 victory over Zane Trace.
That matchup will take place on Thursday at Logan High School with a start time still to be announced.
“They have two really good players in Keegan [Daniels] and Maddux [Camden], so we’re going to have to mark those guys,” Pettigrew said. “We’re going to have to watch Maddux’s passes because his passes are similar to ones that I make to Lucas.”
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