While many students anticipated a state title from the boys’ varsity soccer team, the team is proud of its third place finish in the state championship tournament. Though the team did not qualify for the championship match, they fought hard in the IHSA 3A semi-finals match against Edwardsville High School. The Edwardsville Tigers scored three goals in 13 minutes to defeat the Redhawks 3-1.

The team returned with a state trophy for a third consecutive year, after having finished second the previous two years. Senior Jay Tegge says, though, that he didn’t feel added pressure.

“I don’t think we were necessarily expected to win, but obviously we wanted to,” Tegge said. “We played a great game against Edwardsville, but we just caught some unlucky breaks.”

Senior Devon Amoo-Mensah scored a goal in the first half, securing an early 1-0 lead for Central. But before the half ended, Edwardsville tied the match 1-1, then scored two more goals in the second half to win.

Senior Drake Swope admits that being satisfied with playing for third required some effort.

“When the game was winding down and I realized we were going to lose, it really was a terrible feeling,” Swope said. “I wanted to cry and scream, because that was really the last chance of getting a championship for me.”

Central had defeated Edwardsville during the state tournament the last two years and Swope believes that he and his teammates could’ve repeated this streak if they hadn’t come into the match too overconfident and cocky.

Still, Tegge was focused on the positive.

“Regardless of our finish, we did much better than anyone expected us to do this season,” Tegge said. “As much as we wanted a state title, getting third place was a big accomplishment for us.”

The team ended its season with a record of 19-3-2. As Swope recalls, the team started slowly but benefitted from the training they received from Coach Troy Adams.

“During the first two games the team looked a little sloppy and we definitely didn’t seem like a tournament contender,” Swope said. “Eventually everything clicked, especially after enduring the runs Coach Adams had us run in the heat. They made the season tiring, but they certainly prepared us.”

Co-captains Amoo-Mensah, Swope, and Tegge agree that although they would have liked to place higher, their third place finish will be one they remember for a long time.