(This article, reprinted with permission, featuring future alums, appeared in The Columbus Dispatch on November 13, 2005)  11/20/05

Boys Soccer
Bexley wins title in shootout
Lions freshman goalkeeper makes key saves

Jeremy McLaughlin
The Columbus Dispatch

Michael Prout stayed awake Friday night envisioning any scenario he might face in the Division II boys soccer final yesterday.

It was a restless night.

“I was going over everything coach had taught me, what we did in practice and made sure I did everything right,” Bexley’s freshman goalkeeper said.

The one scenario he hoped wouldn’t occur was a shootout. But after Bexley and Bay Village Bay played 110 minutes to a 1-1 tie, all eyes turned toward Prout – a shootout would determine the winner.

Bay’s Adam Swank and Bexley’s Ayodele Adedapo each made their first attempts.

Then Prout made the biggest play of the game, swatting away Bay’s second kick. Riding the momentum from the stop, Bexley made its next three kicks and won the championship in a 4-2 shootout.

Senior Max Stan hit the winning goal to the top left corner to give Bexley its second title in three years.

“I’ve been playing long enough that the pressure didn’t get to me,” Stan said. “I just put it in like I have the past two weeks in practice.”

Bexley (19-1-3) was in a hole early when Bay’s Taylor Hawkins scored off a deflection 2:36 in.

Bay’s defense frustrated Bexley’s potent offense for most of the half. The Lions broke through 90 seconds before halftime when Emanuel Harris lured out Bay goalie Austin Chelko and tapped a pass to Adedapo, who scored.

Bay (17-3-3) kept the pressure on in the first 10 minutes of the second half before the Lions went on the offensive. Josh Thaboune had a shot skim past the goal. Two direct kicks sailed high. Bexley got eight shots off.

“We just couldn’t get the next pass,” Lions coach Jim Daugherty said. “We were getting chances. Toward the end, we started getting a little tired and the passes were there, but the runs weren’t. Our timing wasn’t down.”

With 12:01 left in regulation, Bay thought it scored the winning goal. A throw-in by Jeff Lindhart was headed once and headed again by Tyler Barnett for an apparent score, but the Rockets were offside.

“At the very tail end of it, we got a couple runs going and it looked like we were going to squeak one in,” Bay coach Robert Dougherty said.

Bexley took five shots in the first overtime. Bay’s Kyle Hyland nearly bended in a corner kick – the Rockets’ first of the game – in the second overtime.

“I told them before the (penalty) kicks, they are going to miss one, miss the frame or something,” Daugherty said. “Prout is going to make a save and we need to make four or five to give Prout some confidence.”

“As it worked out, it was like I was a fortuneteller or something.”

Once Prout made his save in overtime, Harris went top shelf for Bexley’s second goal. Bay made its third kick and Thaboune beat Chelko to the right for a 3-2 Bexley advantage.

Bay’s fourth kick bounced off the right post and set Stan up for the winner.

“Two state championships in four years?” Stan pondered. “I wouldn’t have thought it.”

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