PIAA Soccer: Blue Mountain splits playoff doubleheader
The Blue Mountain boys' soccer team takes on Franklin Towne Charter at home in a PIAA Class 3A First Round soccer game (Photo by Eli Doyle).
ORWIGSBURG — One team advanced.
One team left it all on the turf.
Blue Mountain fans, coaches and athletes lived both sides of playoff soccer Tuesday at the Eagles’ Nest in their PIAA Class 3A first-round showdowns. The Eagles edged out Franklin Towne Charter by a 2-1 margin in the boys’ contest, while Blue Mountain fell to Lower Dauphin 2-1 on the girls’ side.
The boys’ matchup led off the festivities, and the Eagles were aggressive on the ball early — eventually connecting on passes and showing intent and hustle to score. Their opponent, the Warriors, had the size, speed and agility to make things uncomfortable, but Blue Mountain proved resilient.
“I have to credit Franklin Towne,” Blue Mountain coach Chris Brauer said. “They had a two-hour and 30-minute bus ride to get here and they came out here and gave it a quality effort. They were good, they were fast, they were physical. We didn’t connect passes like we normally do, and you have to credit them as the reason why.”
The breakthrough came at 30:54 when Drew Waschko converted a feed from Sean Gaddy to put the Eagles (20-3) in front. Gaddy not only delivered the assist but was a force on defense throughout, disrupting the Warriors’ rhythm and helping shut down their counter-play. Despite that early success, the Warriors (9-8) climbed back into it and struck to tie the contest before intermission.
Into the second half, chances were tight on both sides: shots on goal were five for Franklin Towne vs. six for Blue Mountain, and corner kicks 5-4 in favor of the Eagles. Franklin Towne goaltender Matthew Laurelli and Blue Mountain keeper Caden Wargo each logged four saves. What separated the teams, however, was Blue Mountain’s composure and opportunism.
At 79:39, just when the Eagles needed it most, Waschko struck again — this time from Keenan Hall’s assist on a throw-in — to seal the win.
“Drew’s goal was extremely composed,” Brauer said. “We were looking for that several times in the game. The pass just wasn’t quite there. But we saw something in those games we looked at and we saw the corner may be open. It was frustrating time after time the passes didn’t quite make it. Keenan (Hall) put the ball right where it needed to be and I knew what was going to happen. Drew came through for us, again.”
Franklin Towne Charter had opportunities it couldn’t capitalize on, and those missed chances ultimately hurt. Blue Mountain’s tight defense and clutch finishing carried the day, advancing the Eagles to the next round.
For the Eagles boys, Tuesday’s win means moving on in the Class 3A bracket with confidence, riding the performances of Waschko and Gaddy, and building momentum. They will face off with Abington Heights, a 5-0 winner over Selinsgrove in Tuesday’s first round, Saturday at a site and time to be determined.
“It is cliche, but we just talked about survive and advance,” Brauer said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s 2-1 or 1-0 or 0-0 and you win on PK’s (penalty kicks) as long as you advance.”
On the girls’ side, Blue Mountain (19-4) faced off against a strong showing by District 3 runner-up Lower Dauphin (17-4). The Falcons applied heavy pressure early, spending much of the first half in Blue Mountain’s defensive end and testing goalkeeper Karley Koch repeatedly before flipping the field.
“We’ve had some good tests throughout the season — Northwestern Lehigh, Schuylkill Valley — this team (Lower Dauphin) was right up there with them,” Blue Mountain coach Matt Kenitzer said. “I thought we dominated a pretty good amount of the first half just playing our game. Then we got a little out of the game. We started playing kick and run and got flustered. But they just kept fighting and fighting and I’m super proud of how they played.”
Koch responded with a standout performance between the posts, keeping her squad within reach. The turning point came early in the second half when Blue Mountain’s Addyson Fishburn made the defensive play of the game — deflecting a sure-goal-bound shot and preventing the Falcons from extending their lead. That stop energized the Eagles, who pushed back harder and began to gain momentum.
Blue Mountain finally broke through at 60:57 when freshman Reegan Spangler, assisted by senior Kelly Canfield, delivered the goal to make it 1-1. But the Falcons answered swiftly at 62:40 when Tran struck to restore Lower Dauphin’s lead. Despite Blue Mountain’s increased tenacity and their seven shots on goal (to Lower Dauphin’s nine) and three corners (to six), they couldn’t find the equalizer.
“Our seniors have stepped up in incredible ways,” Kenitzer said. “I’ve had great, great leaders, not only the captains, but also the other seniors that stepped up and played so well. They led the team through adversity, through hardships and the quality of play. They were right leading the team and tightening all the little things up, and really just playing our style of soccer. I love watching them play.”
Lower Dauphin keeper Nahla Raab recorded six saves, while Koch notched seven for the Eagles. In the end, Lower Dauphin’s ability to convert and its sustained pressure sealed the win, sending Blue Mountain home while the Falcons advance.
The girls, despite a valiant effort and a terrific showing from Koch and Fishburn, fell just short — but there’s plenty to build on for next season.
“Keep on going, keep on building,” Kenitzer said about his returning athletes. “I’m excited to see what the incoming freshman add to the dynamic of our team already. We have a skilled team all the way through so it seems like we’ll keep progressing and progressing, so I’m really looking forward to it. And I’m looking forward to the high quality of play and being able to get that passion and drive out of them, it’s so much fun.”
