The Wolves’ season came to an end in a Regional Tournament Semifinal loss to Westerville Central, in a thrilling match that exemplified the fight in this team that left their fans so proud. They had lost to the same team a couple of months ago by a 0-3 score. This rematch came following the Wolves’ District Championship, and the team came in riding a 5-game win streak.

The Wolves fell behind in the match with 2 goals conceded within the first 8 minutes, and fears grew that the August loss might be repeated. However, at the 16-minute mark, Alex Vicente clawed one back for the good guys when he fired a shot past the Warhawks’ goalie. Central scored again at the 27-minute mark, and a competitive first half came to a close with the 2-goal deficit.

The Wolves came out in the second half determined to show that the late-season improvement was no fluke. They fought hard with excellent defense, and Bowen Rick narrowed the score when he knocked in a rebound off a corner kick. Then, with less than 18 minutes remaining, the Wolves drew even when Quinn McGlone buried a penalty kick. The tie score did not last long, however, as the Wolves conceded the deciding score several minutes later, and despite a tremendous effort, the Wolves fell 3-4, ending their Regional Tournament hopes.

Few who watched this match would dispute that the Wolves were the equal of the Warhawks, who are now 13-3-3 and ranked 13th in the state. Simply put, the growth and spirit in this Wolves team were remarkable. This author frankly wondered after the first couple of weeks of the season if this team would win even 3 matches all year. A tremendous coaching job combined with players whose effort and fight never waned, even during a long losing streak, led to a District title and a fine legacy. The team and coaches should be proud of their accomplishments, as I know that their fans are.