Anna-Jonesboro/Cobden soccer team second at state
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<p class="p1">The Anna-Jonesboro/Cobden Wildcats finished a record season this past Saturday at the IHSA state championship game in Normal. </p><p class="p1">The Cats lost the game 4-1 but earned the honor as the Class 1A state runner up.</p><p class="p1">It was an amazing run for a young program. A total of 151 teams started the Class 1A playoffs, and 150 games were played over three weeks. It was A-J/C that earned the right to play on the final day, as one of the final two teams in the playoffs final game: an honor that no Wildcat team had experienced in 31 years.</p><p class="p1">On a chilly and wet day in Normal, the Wildcat soccer team took the field at the Corn Crib. Winners of 11 straight, the Cats had advanced to the championship with great defense. The Cats had only surrendered one goal during their six previous playoff games. </p><p class="p1">On the other side of the field stood Elmhurst Trinity Christian. Called “TC” by their supporters, the Trojans brought experience to the championship game. This was their fourth appearance since 2008. They lost the championship last year to grab the IHSA state runner up honor.</p><p class="p1">As the game began the Cats controlled possession and kept the Trojan defense under constant pressure. </p><p class="p1">The Wildcats attacked with ball movement from the outside to the middle and found a number of opportunities in front of the goal. </p><p class="p1">But a pesky defense and a strong keeper kept the Wildcats from grabbing a lead.</p><p class="p1">In contrast the Trojan attack was based more upon a long ball dump or through ball pass to outside attackers. </p><p class="p1">The Trojans were content to take shots from outside the penalty box with the hopes of connecting on the back end. The Trojan attack would be the first to succeed.</p><p class="p1">At about the 14 minute mark of the first half a ball sent from an outside mid-fielder to the center of the penalty box found the foot of a Trojan striker that placed the ball just beyond the reach of Wildcat keeper, Jake Parr. </p><p class="p1">For only the second time in the playoffs the Cats had surrendered a goal and this one left the Cats trailing their opponent for the first time. </p><p class="p1">But the Cats responded quickly. Less than a minute later Zach Parr found himself just inside the penalty box in the Wildcat half and fired a shot that sailed over the outstretched arms of the Trojan keeper to tie the score at 1. A revised and energized team had life again.</p><p class="p1">For the remainder of the half both teams had several opportunities to score and both teams kept pressure on each other’s defense. </p><p class="p1">But it seemed as though the advantage was to the Wildcats as the ball seemed to be played mostly in their attacking half. </p><p class="p1">As the teams went to half time most attending felt the Wildcats were poised to take advantage and take the lead.</p><p class="p1">At the start of the second half the Trojans seemed to put some things together early and found more control and possession than they had during the first period. </p><p class="p1">The game seemed to be played evenly on each other’s end. But it would be the Trojans that would find a deflection following a missed shot that would give them the lead once again.</p><p class="p1">On a shot taken from just inside the penalty box keeper Jake Parr went to the ground to deflect it away. </p><p class="p1">But the deflection was not cleared and the Trojans managed to poke it through for a 2-1 lead. </p><p class="p1">The shot energized the Trojans and within just minutes of the previous goal they found the back of the net a third time off a cross from the middle of the field. </p><p class="p1">It was a shot that Jake Parr had no chance to get in front of and it gave the Trojans a 3-1 lead and all but sealed the Trojan win.</p><p class="p1">“In that short time frame a few things happened that simply broke us down defensively. I don’t fault anyone or the group at all. TC simply made a couple of nice attacks and executed them to perfection. I don’t think it was about a lapse in our formation or our effort. It was just simply a couple of good plays by a good team. They finished them. You just have to give them credit,” Anna-Jonesboro/Cobden coach Mark Boomer said.</p><p class="p1">The Trojans would score once more just moments later on a shot from outside that again sailed over the outstretched hands of Parr. </p><p class="p1">Although the Wildcats did not quit and continued to attack and put pressure on the Trojan keeper several more times they could not find a rallying goal. </p><p class="p1">As the final seconds ticked away on a record setting season for A-J/C, the Wildcats played to the sounds of a boisterous and proud student section that had never before experienced such an atmosphere. </p><p class="p1">The past weeks had brought two schools together and energized a Wildcat student body and renewed school spirit and pride.</p><p class="p1"><strong>Road to State Finals</strong></p><p class="p1">The Cats advanced to the state finals with a dramatic 1-0 win over Beardstown last Tuesday in the Granite City super-sectional. </p><p class="p1">In a scoreless game it was a goal by Zach Parr off an assist from Elijah Haar with just 10:01 to go that would give the Cats their first super-sectional championship and first trip to the state finals. </p><p class="p1"><strong>State Semifinals</strong></p><p class="p1">In the semifinal game of the state finals played at the Corn Crib on Friday night, it was again a goal by Zach Parr off an assist by Justin Moore early in the second half that would give the Cats a 1-0 win over Rockford Keith Country Day. </p><p class="p1">On a free kick, Moore placed the ball in the middle of the penalty box and Parr split two defenders to get his foot on the ball and deflect it past the keeper.</p><p class="p1">Trinity Christian advanced to the state championship game by defeating unbeaten Urbana University 4-1 in the other state semi-final. </p><p class="p1">Urbana and Rockford Keith Country Day played in the early game Saturday for third place. Keith Country Day won the game 3-2.</p><p class="p1">“I am so proud of our team. For the first time in 31 years the students, alumni and fans of Anna-Jonesboro got to watch and experience a sports team advance and play for a state championship,” coach Boomer said. </p><p class="p1">“Finishing as the state’s runner up is an incredible accomplishment. The 2015 boys Wildcat soccer team made history and have made their place among the best in Wildcat sports teams.”</p><p class="p1">The Cats finished the season as regional champs, sectional champs, super-sectional champs and the state’s runner up with an overall record of 20-6-1.</p>