FORT WAYNE – The Manchester and Whitko boys soccer teams both bowed out of Sectional 40 with losses Wednesday in Fort Wayne, but did it in different ways. The four-team sectional began with host Class 1A No. 8 Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian overwhelming Whitko 7-0, followed by Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran hanging on 3-2 against Manchester. Completing its fourth season as an IHSAA-sanctioned program the Whitko Wildcats (4-8-3) were outshot 37-8 in its loss to Blackhawk (8-7-3), and the difference in skill was evident from the start. The Blackhawk Braves' skilled forwards routinely beat packed in Whitko defenders, allowing them to rest for the first 20 minutes of the second half, as well as the late stages. Despite the odds being stacked against them in a big way, first-year Whitko coach Rachel Nowak had the same message to her guys as she's had all season long. "I've always told them to keep their heads up," she said. "If they got scored on or not, I've wanted them to keep their heads up. We've been working on defense this season, and I think they did an excellent job. We've had a few slip-ups, but we've really worked hard on defense, and that's what I told them to focus on. 'Just play defense, contain them in front of you and have fun.' If it was going to be our last game, I wanted them to have fun." Keeping the Braves in front of them was too much to ask, falling behind 3-0 in the first 15 minutes, then 6-0 with 38:43 still left in the match. Whitko senior goalkeeper Jacob Helton did have 14 saves in the loss, but he and seven of his teammates played their last contest Wednesday. Despite losing eight seniors, including four sectional starters, Nowak has some numbers returning in 2015 and can only help the positives from 2014 carry over. "I came into this knowing they had had a lot of losing seasons in previous years," she said. "I wanted to make sure we could get them some wins this season. That was one of my top goals, to show them that they have the confidence and skill to get some wins. We came out 4-8-3, and I'm not mad about it. I think they had a great season. We've progressed so much just with possession and playing to feet – keeping the ball on the ground and first touch. Just simple stuff like that." The Manchester Squires (10-6-1) haven't had as much trouble with regular season wins, but going to Fort Wayne to play in the postseason has been a problem. After beating Plymouth 1-0 in the one-class postseason in 2010, the Squires had gone 0-3 at Sectional 40 in Fort Wayne, losing 7-0 and 7-1 to powerhouse Fort Wayne Canterbury in 2011 and 2012, respectively, then 7-0 against Blackhawk a year ago. Getting the more favorable Fort Wayne squad this season, the Squires faced a pretty evenly matched squad, and played that way in a one-goal loss. "We gave them everything they could handle," Manchester coach Dave McKee said. "We came in here expecting to win. We really did. We've been playing well as of late. It's a tough one to take right now. "They had to feel lucky to walk off with the win," he added. Coming in with a winning attitude, it had to have taken a hit when the Concordia Cadets (3-11-4) got a goal from sophomore Benjamin Grim just 1:28 into the match. "The defense started a little slow with that first goal, but they tightened their belts," McKee said. With the defense tightening up, Manchester knotted things up with a goal by junior Colin McNeeley, who scored off a corner kick assist from David Fahs-Brown in the 26th minute. However, the Cadets scored two goals in the last nine minutes of the first half, leaving the Squires in a 3-1 halftime hole. Instead of succumbing to the Fort Wayne team, Manchester came out aggressive in the second half, forcing the issue, as McNeeley had a shot go just right of the post and junior Eliesel Guerrro-Davila have a goal wiped off because of an offside call in the 43rd minute. "Oh, he was offsides," McKee said of the call. Even with that heart-breaking call, Manchester didn't relent and McNeeley scored again in the 45th minute, this time off a long cross from junior Braydon Sewell. The goal was McNeeley's 27th of the season, adding to his single-season Manchester record, which was previously held by Colin's older brother Keegan McNeeley, who had 24 in a season. A track star, McNeeley keeps the pressure on defenses, but proved he's more than just a speedster running behind defensemen, as his two goals were contested, and nearly scored on a corner kick header in the third minute of the match. "He's not just a fast kid, he's a soccer player," McKee said of McNeeley. "He's a soccer player." McNeely had another great opportunity for a header in the 70th minute, but it was just off, as were two corner kick opportunities by the Squires in the final minute. "We were pressing them in the second, and I'm surprised we didn't get a couple of goals in the first 10 minutes," McKee said. "Then, everything evened out, like it usually does." Manchester outshot Concordia 15-13 and had seven shots on goal to the Cadets' five, but in the end, only the ones that get past the goal line matter. "I'm not disappointed in the way my boys played," McKee said. "I'm just disappointed in the outcome." Manchester loses three starters from this year's team. With evident progress being made on the field, McKee said he isn’t looking forward to 2015 more than he has for any other season. "I'm always excited, no matter who's coming back," he said. "I'm always excited to get the kids back out. "Manchester soccer is getting stronger and stronger by the year," he added. The Cadets and Braves will meet for the Sectional 40 title Saturday at 6 p.m.
F.W. BLACKHAWK 7, WHITKO 0 (Sectional 47, Semifinal) B – Travis Rippe (Jackson Didion) 6th min. B – Spencer Seabeck (Malequi Picazo) 8th min. B – Rippe (Didion) 15th min. B – Jonathan Williams 34th min. B – Nathan Weaver 41st min. B – Grant Middlebusher (Weaver) 42nd min. B – Brad Berry 56th min. Shots – Blackhawk 37, Whitko 8; Shots on Goal – Blackhawk 22, Whitko 2; Saves – Blackhawk (Camden Wild) 2, Whitko (Jacob Helton) 14; Fouls – Blackhawk 13, Whitko 11; Offsides – Blackhawk 1, Whitko 0; Corner Kicks – Blackhawk 9, Whitko 0. Records: Blackhawk 8-7-4, Whitko 4-8-3.
F.W. CONCORDIA 3, MANCHESTER 2 C – Benjamin Grim 2nd min. M – Colin McNeeley (David Fahs-Brown) 26th min. C – Connor Bartkowiak (Alex Koenemann) 32nd min. C – David Ehlers (Koenemann) 38th min. M – McNeeley (Braydon Sewell) 45th min. Shots – Concordia 13, Manchester 14; Shots on Goal – Concordia 5, Manchester 7; Saves – Concordia (Jonathan Detwiler) 5, Manchester (Rainer Borgmann) 2; Fouls (Yellow Card) – Concordia 10 (Caleb Wedeven), Manchester 18 (McNeeley, Cody Egner); Offsides – Concordia 1, Manchester 1; Corner Kicks – Concordia 5, Manchester 10. Records: Concordia 3-11-4, Manchester 10-6-1.
