Bulldogs end ‘unbelievable’ season in semi-finals | Sport

WARRENSBURG – Travis Hoffman didn’t know what to expect this boys soccer season.

After a 16-win campaign in which Mahomet-Seymour won a Class 2A regional championship, coach Jeremy Davis resigned after seven seasons in charge, and the Bulldogs lost several All-State players.

With no coach in place at the time, Hoffman and a few fellow seniors came together this summer to get things going. They knew they had to get to work, but this time it was up to them.

“Our situation was what it was, and we had to make the best of it,” Hoffman said. “Everyone I knew who played football started a group chat and said, ‘Hey, these days, these days. Come out and we’ll do a scrimmage and some drills. ”

Although he said it was fun, Hoffman admitted it wasn’t the smoothest experience.

“I didn’t have chemistry with a lot of these guys to start the year. Most of these guys on the varsity I didn’t even know before this season,” Hoffman said. “The start of the year was tough, but the fact that we managed to pull it together and get here is something I’m really proud of.”

The Bulldogs were the last area team standing and saw their season end Wednesday night after a 6-0 loss to Chatham Glenwood in a Class 2A Warrensburg-Latham Sectional semifinal.

First-year coach Kerry Lippold smiled at the season his players had, and he laughed as he recalled the only sectional game he experienced as a player. “Funnily enough” that was also a 6-0 defeat.

“All things considered, pretty incredible on their part,” Lippold said. “The courage they show in their matches, the tenacity and the ability to always come back, it really shows their commitment and willingness to do what is necessary for the team. I’ve been very proud of the boys because they just worked together. It was really great.”

MS (16-8-2) couldn’t get anything going offensively on Wednesday, as the Titans (18-5-3) controlled most of the possession battle. It was reminiscent of the Bulldogs’ victory against Urbana in last Friday night’s regional final, which ended in penalties after scoreless regulation and overtime. The only difference was that Glenwood’s scoring chances ended up in the back of the net. McKenzie Doe scored four goals, followed by Miles Calderon and Elliott Mogren with one goal apiece.

The Titans are a team with state championship aspirations and will play Springfield in the sectional championship Saturday at 10 a.m. They finished second in the 2A state just two years ago and are looking to bounce back this season. The Bulldogs saw that potential when they lost 4-1 to Glenwood on September 10.

“They are a great team. We knew we had our work cut out for us,” Hoffman said. “I wish it could have been a little closer, but the fact that we got here, I’m super happy. Obviously I would have loved to win, but this is certainly a success.”

MS started the season 2-4-1 and worked out the many kinks that came with all the changes to the schedule. The Bulldogs finished with a 14-4-1 run, including a third straight Apollo Conference title and a second straight regional plaque.

“We played some pretty competitive teams early on, and that allowed us to play at our highest level because we pointed out those deficiencies early on,” Lippold said. “Any time you bring in four freshmen who start and get major contributions from our large sophomore class, it takes some getting used to. Building that team chemistry was a big part of that.”

And these lower class people will be crucial in helping MS continue this streak of success. This was the Bulldogs’ eighth straight season of double-digit wins – seven of them with at least 15 wins – and they have no plans to take a step back next year.

“I’m really proud of how the team performed,” Hoffman said. “Very proud of the team. A lot of guys stepped up. A lot of love for the team because they all did their best to get us here.”