Boys’ soccer: Dunbar’s quest for back-to-back titles meets loaded state semifinal field
Nobody said defending a state championship would be easy.
Though Paul Laurence Dunbar routed both its first- and second-round opponents last week, the Bulldogs know there will be no gravy train at The Farm, also known as Frederick Douglass High School, as the KHSAA Boys’ State Soccer Tournament semifinals kick off Thursday.
Dunbar, rated No. 2 in the end-of-regular season Maher Rankings will take on No. 14 Ryle in the 7:30 p.m. semifinal Thursday while consensus No. 1 St. Xavier battles No. 5 Bowling Green in the 4 p.m. matinee.
“We know it’s going to get tougher from here,” Dunbar Coach James Wray said after his team mercy-ruled Corbin 10-0 on Saturday, the first mercy-rule quarterfinals game since 2001. “Our opponents for the semifinals, they are going to be coming out of a tough game and they are going to be ready to play. … I think these guys rise to the occasion and they’ll be ready to play on Thursday.”
Ryle, the 9th Region champion, is also the last team to hand Dunbar a postseason defeat back in 2020’s first round, a 1-0 result. The two teams haven’t faced each other since, but have trod some of the same ground this season with both earning impressive victories over common foes Lexington Catholic, Montgomery County and others.
“Ryle seems to have gotten better and better throughout the year,” Wray said. “I think they’ve kind of got it clicking now and are hitting their stride. … It’s going to be a battle.”
In the other semifinal, St. X faces Bowling Green, which is the only team to hand the Tigers a loss this year and also the only team to shut them out. St. Xavier’s Stone Work has the most goals (26) of any player left in the tournament. Bowling Green’s Yaredi Yaredi leads his team with 18 goals.
“That’s a very competent team that they have,” St. X Coach Andy Schulten told the Courier Journal. “I think they probably got the front-runner for the player of the year in their striker up top. He’s outstanding. We’ve got to find a way to shut him down and we’ve got to find a way to put the ball in the net.”
Here’s a look at this year’s boys’ soccer semifinalists.
Paul Laurence Dunbar (17-2-3)
Pedigree: 11th Region champions; five-time and defending state champions.
End-of-season rankings: RPI-6; Maher-2.
Stat stuffers: Joany “Gio” Chavez (11 goals, seven assists), Antonio “Ezra” Blackman (11 goals, seven assists), Chaz Rich (eight goals, two assists), Christian Delgado (six goals, one assist), Ryan O’Hara (five goals, eight assists).
Tournament road: Beat Boyd County 2-0 and Corbin 10-0.
Last meeting: Ryle knocked Dunbar out of the first round of the 2020 state tournament with a 1-0 win.
Common opponents with Ryle: Beat Henry Clay 5-2, Lexington Catholic 7-0 and 2-0, Bishop Brossart 4-1, Montgomery County 3-1, Tates Creek 1-0 and 4-0; tied Bryan Station 1-1 and won 2-1; tied Dixie Heights 0-0.
Notes: Dunbar’s 17 goals against is the fewest goals conceded by any team in the semifinals. St. X is next with 19. The Bulldogs return five starters from last year’s state championship team. Three other players saw significant minutes in the title game. Dunbar faced significant challenges in the 11th Region Tournament, needing PK shootouts to survive the first round against Bryan Station and the finals against No. 3 Frederick Douglass. Only Ballard (nine) and St. X (15) have more boys’ state championships than Dunbar.
Ryle (19-4-2)
Pedigree: 9th Region champions; two-time state runner-up (2006, 2011).
End-of-season rankings: RPI-21; Maher-14.
Stat stuffers: Diego Hoenderkamp (23 goals, nine assists), Bric Denigan (16 goals, seven assists), Aidan Byrd (four goals), Josh Line (four goals, four assists), Landon Barth-GK (10 shutouts).
Tournament road: Beat Montgomery County 1-0 and Boyle County 1-0.
Common opponents with Dunbar: Beat Henry Clay 2-0, Lexington Catholic 4-3, Bryan Station 3-1, Montgomery County 1-0; tied Bishop Brossart 1-1; Lost 3-1 to Dixie Heights.
Notes: The Raiders’ leading goal scorer of their 2020 team, Lance Paul, who went on to play for Transylvania, died unexpectedly after a brief illness last year. The team honored his legacy during the season and its run to the region championship and has dedicated a scholarship fund in his honor. Midfielder Josh Line, who also serves as the Ryle football team’s place kicker, gained notice earlier this season by scoring from 60 yards out against Boone County.
St. Xavier (23-1-3)
Pedigree: 7th Region champions; 15-time state champions (most all-time), the last coming in 2020.
End-of-season rankings: RPI-1; Maher-1.
Stat stuffers: Stone Work (26 goals, five assists), Miles McMillen (11 goals, five assists), Alvaro Gonzalez (seven goals, eight assists), Trip Campbell (six goals, eight assists), Trenton Kaskocsak (six goals, four assists).
Tournament road: Beat Butler 5-0 and Madisonville 1-0..
Last meeting: The Tigers lost to Bowling Green 1-0 on Sept. 3.
Common opponents with Bowling Green: Beat Daviess County 1-0 and Madisonville 2-1 and 1-0.
Notes: The Tigers have scored 91 goals this season, the most among the semifinalists. St. X’s soccer program predates KHSAA sanctioning, which is why the Tigers’ school records include two more state championships than are recognized by the KHSAA. The 7th Region this year contained three consensus top-10 teams (St. X, Ballard and Collegiate) and RPI No. 11 Trinity. The Tigers went 12-0 in region play and beat each of those rivals twice.
Bowling Green (19-2-0)
Pedigree: 4th Region champions; two-time state champions (2006, 2014).
End-of-season rankings: RPI-2; Maher-5.
Stat stuffers: Yaredi Yaredi (18 goals, three assists), Shukurani Makiwa (12 goals, 10 assists), Tomas Gonzaga (11 goals, six assists), Braden Widener (four goals, 10 assists), Njangu Layi (five goals, two assists).
Tournament road: Beat McCracken County 2-1 (OT) and Daviess County 3-2 (OT), both in PK shootouts.
Common opponents with St. Xavier: Beat Daviess County 4-0 and 3-2 and Madisonville 5-1.
Notes: This is Bowling Green’s first state tournament appearance since 2015. The Purples also made the state semifinals that year. Coach Craig Widener is in the second year of his second stint with the Purples and was also their coach in 2015. Bowling Green had not made it out of districts each of the last three years. Bowling Green’s 14-game win streak without a tie is the longest of the four remaining teams.
BOYS’ SOCCER STATE TOURNAMENT
At Frederick Douglass High School
Thursday’s semifinals
4 p.m.: Bowling Green (19-2-0) vs. St. Xavier (21-1-3)
7:30 p.m.: Paul Laurence Dunbar (17-2-3) vs. Ryle (19-4-2)
Saturday’s finals
7:30 p.m.: Championship
Online: All games streaming via subscription at KHSAA.tv or pay per view at go.prepspin.com.
