Boys soccer postseason: Lafayette tops defending state champs; Douglass repeats
For the better part of this boys soccer season, Lafayette was an afterthought.
That’s quite a statement about a team who entered the playoffs ranked No. 6 in the statewide Maher Rankings. That’s because three spots higher on that list was No. 3 Paul Laurence Dunbar, the two-time defending state champion who returned most of its key contributors from a year ago.
But it’s the Generals who are top of mind now.
Lafayette spoiled Dunbar’s bid for a fourth straight 43rd District title on Wednesday at Tates Creek High School with a 4-2 penalty kick shootout victory after a 1-1 tie through 90 minutes.
The win gave Lafayette its first district championship since 2018, which also came against Dunbar in a shootout. They hadn’t beaten the Bulldogs since.
“We’ve been talking about this all season,” said Chris Grimm, the Generals’ head coach since 2008. “We felt like we’ve been a little disrespected this year. Coming into the season, we felt like there were other programs around the city that have been highlighted and we’ve not really had any attention, or spotlight, on our team.”
Both Lafayette and Dunbar will advance to next week’s 11th Region Tournament where they’ll be joined by the top teams from the 41st, 42nd and 44th districts, including three more of the top 25 teams — No. 7 Frederick Douglass, No. 11 Henry Clay, and No. 21 Great Crossing, who will host the region semifinals and finals.
After a level first half in the 43rd finals Wednesday, Lafayette (14-3-1) struck quickly in the second frame. Alex Castro found some space to go one-on-one, made it to the end line and delivered the ball to fellow junior Meshaki Shendela, who leaned his head down and knocked the game’s first goal through in the 42nd minute.
“I just saw him take his man and thought, ‘I might as well get in the box,’” said Shendela, who entered the game having scored only four goals in 2023. “When I got in the box, thankfully the ball came my way.”
The Generals kept Dunbar (14-3-5) at bay until the 73rd minute. A free kick, launched from about 30 yards out by junior Ryan O’Hara, evened things at 1-1.
Four minutes later, Generals junior Nadeer Duek was issued a red card after a verbal exchange with an official. Lafayette played 10 against 11 the remaining three minutes of regulation and subsequent 10 minutes of overtime, managing to deny several Dunbar looks at the goal.
Lafayette aced the shootout, knocking through its first four tries. Dunbar made tries No. 2 and 3 after its first was stopped. The Bulldogs’ fourth kick sailed over the crossbar to end the match.
The Generals are now winners of 11 straight.
“It definitely gave us a confidence boost,” Shendela said of their finals win. “Now we feel like we can go into regionals and beat anybody, cause that’s the state champs, and we showed up against them.”
Back-to-back for Douglass
After losing 4-0 at Henry Clay earlier this season, Frederick Douglass didn’t look to be favored to repeat as 42nd District champions.
But after falling behind 1-0 to the Blue Devils in the first half of their finals match on Wednesday at Bryan Station, Cooper Ranvier and his Broncos teammates decided they had enough of losing to their chief rivals.
“I just started remembering that feeling we had a couple of weeks back when we lost 4-0,” Ranvier said. “I took that personal.”
Late in the first half, Douglass midfielder JP Figueroa booted a long pass from the defensive third of the field into the path of Ranvier.
The two-sport standout, who also plays kicker and wide receiver for the football team, outran his defender to the ball, took one touch off his left knee to gain control and the next touch off his left foot to beat Henry Clay keeper David Chindo, who had come all the way to the top of the box to try to thwart the attack only to see the ball go over his head and into the net.
Ranvier couldn’t remember a better long ball to him on a counter attack.
“That was incredible,” Ranvier said of Figueroa’s pass. “That’s all credit to him, that goal is to him.”
Moments later, Ranvier scored again, this time off a header in the box from Keegan Nash that gave the Broncos a 2-1 lead they would not relinquish.
The win gave Douglass (14-2-3) home-field advantage in the first round of next week’s 11th Region Tournament before it moves on to Great Crossing for the semifinals and finals.
“A game like this just gets us ready for region and gives us good momentum,” Ranvier said.
The district championship trophy is the first and smallest trophy on the path to a state championship, but it still holds a ton of meaning. Henry Clay (11-6-3) had won nine of 10 district crowns before Douglass’ first in 2022.
“It means protecting what’s ours,” Douglass coach Omar Shalash said. “Last year, we won. This year, a lot of people thought we’re going to fall off and we said we’ve got to protect it. And because we protected it, we get to go back to a place where we’re not known to lose behind a rowdy crowd.”
Boys 11th Region contenders
Here’s a closer look at the boys 11th Region soccer tournament field listed in order of their final regular-season Maher Rankings among Kentucky’s top 100 soccer schools. The Maher Rankings computer formula rates teams based on a number of factors, including results, strength of schedule and historic data. Also listed are the KHSAA’s RPI standings, based on a different formula.
Paul Laurence Dunbar
Maher/RPI: 3/2.
Record: 14-3-5.
How they got here: 43rd District runner-up. Lost to Lafayette in a finals match decided by a penalty kick shootout.
Notes: Leading scorer Chaz Rich, a junior, suffered a season-ending knee injury against Trinity in the final game of the regular season. Dunbar has won six state championships, including the last two in a row and is the three-time defending region champion.
Lafayette
Maher/RPI: 6/10.
Record: 14-3-1.
How they got here: 43rd District champions with a penalty kick shootout win over Paul Laurence Dunbar.
Notes: The Generals have given up only 13 goals all season, ranking them in a tie for the fourth toughest defense in the state, trailing only McCracken County (10), Collins (11) and Great Crossing (12). Lafayette beat Great Crossing 1-0 on Sept. 23 to win the Warhawk Classic.
Frederick Douglass
Maher/RPI: 7/7.
Record: 14-2-3.
How they got here: 42nd District champions with a 2-1 win over Henry Clay.
Notes: The Broncos reached the region finals last year where they lost in a penalty kick shootout to eventual state champion Dunbar. Dunbar has eliminated Douglass from the region tournament via PK shootout in each of the last three seasons. Luke Wiles leads Douglass in scoring with 12 goals.
Henry Clay
Maher/RPI: 11/25.
Record: 11-6-3.
How they got here: 42nd District runner up in a 2-1 loss to Douglass.
Notes: The Blue Devils have lost four of their last five games, including a 2-0 loss to No. 6 Lafayette on Sept. 26 and a 2-1 loss to No. 2 St. Xavier on Sept. 28. Three players have scored double-digit goals — Diego Sanchez (14 goals), Marco Messerli (12) and Daniel Grider (11).
Great Crossing
Maher/RPI: 21/13.
Record: 16-3-0.
How they got here: 41st District champions with a 3-1 win over Frankfort.
Notes: Of the 12 goals Great Crossing has given up this season, three came against Douglass in a 3-1 loss. Another came in a 1-0 loss to Lafayette. Leading scorers: Ethan Bell (11 goals) and James Cron (10).
Madison Central
Maher/RPI: 41/37.
Record: 11-5-2.
How they got here: 44th District champions with a 3-0 win over Model.
Notes: The Indians have won seven straight since a 3-0 loss to Douglass on Sept. 12. They have not missed a region tournament since 2013. Leading scorer: Tyler Smith (13 goals).
Frankfort
Maher/RPI: 61/90.
Record: 9-11-0.
How they got here: 41st District runner-up in 3-1 loss to Great Crossing.
Notes: The Panthers, the 2022 All “A” Classic champions, are making their fifth straight region tournament appearance and first under coach Austin Farmer. Leading scorer: Stephane Bebe (11 goals).
Model
Maher/RPI: Unranked/64.
Record: 14-7-1.
How they got here: 44th District runner-up in 3-0 loss to Madison Central.
Notes: The Patriots are making their first region tournament appearance since 2013. They defeated Frankfort in a PK shootout on Aug. 31 to claim the 11th Region All “A” Classic title. Kai Forsythe leads four double-digit scorers with 17 goals.
BOYS 11TH REGION TOURNAMENT
TUESDAY’S QUARTERFINALS
7 p.m.: Frankfort at Lafayette
7 p.m.: Henry Clay at Madison Central
7 p.m.: Paul Laurence Dunbar at Great Crossing
7 p.m.: Model at Frederick Douglass
THURSDAY’S SEMIFINALS
At Great Crossing
6:30 p.m.: Frankfort-Lafayette winner vs. Henry Clay-Madison Central winner
8:30 p.m.: Dunbar-Great Crossing winner vs. Model-Frederick Douglass winner
SATURDAY’S FINALS
At Great Crossing
2 p.m.: Championship match
This story was originally published October 6, 2023 at 3:19 PM.
