Ohio High School Soccer Playoffs: A Tale of Triumph and Heartbreak in Cincinnati’s Soccer Landscape as Kings and Summit Country Day Rise Above the Fray
On November 5, the high school soccer scene in Cincinnati reached a fever pitch as five local teams competed for a coveted spot in the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) state championships. Among them, St. Xavier, Kings, Badin, Wyoming, and Summit Country Day showcased not only their athletic prowess but also the emotional and societal dimensions of high school sports as they contended not just for victory but for pride, legacy, and the joy of community engagement.
The state semifinals highlighted the stark contrasts in triumph and despair, serving as a microcosm of life’s larger narratives. St. Xavier’s impressive history faced a significant setback as they fell to Dublin Jerome 5-0. This defeat was not merely a numerical setback; it encapsulated the pressure, the dreams of the senior class ending without a chance at a state title. The defeat pushed the Bombers to a disappointing 2-5 record in their history of semifinal appearances, a painful reminder of the fine line between glory and failure in competitive sports, and a striking commentary on the fleeting nature of high school glory.
Head coach Brian Schaeper’s solemn reflection post-match underscored the collective sentiment of loss shared among the players and their supporters. The jarring ending resonated deeply with the seniors, who had poured significant effort into their four years on the team. As the players walked off the field, the promise of future victories mingled with the bittersweet taste of finality. Their season, marked by highs and lows, carried a grim but universal truth about competitive sports—the heartache of unfulfilled aspirations can echo beyond the field.
Contrasting this narrative was that of Kings High School, which witnessed a different kind of emotion entirely. Kings earned their place in the state finals after a tense, goalless regulation and overtime against Westerville Central, resulting in a dramatic last-minute goal on a corner kick play dubbed “pickles.” The interplay of strategy, trust, and the unyielding desire to win painted a compelling portrait of youth sports. Coach Christian Hay’s willingness to empower Kevin Cyrus by allowing him autonomy over his positioning in set pieces illuminates the deeper role of mentorship and collaboration in sports. Key moments like these highlight how high school soccer is often considerably more than just a game; it’s about building character, unity, and life skills in players as they navigate adolescence.
The jubilant scenes following Kings’ win encapsulated the euphoria of sports—a moment of pure, unadulterated joy amidst an environment rife with competition. As Kings prepared to face Avon in the upcoming final, they stepped into the spotlight representing not just their school but the community ethos surrounding Cincinnati soccer. The possibility of Kings winning their first title since their semifinal loss in 1995 brought a renewed vigor to the program and rekindled local hopes of success, instilling pride in their supporters.
Meanwhile, the Badin Rams experienced the heartbreaking end of their season against Bishop Watterson in another tight match that also went into overtime. The defining moment came when Watterson scored a golden goal, sealing Badin’s fate and leaving their players and fans with lingering thoughts of what might have been. Coach Eric Hickey’s recognition of the team’s perseverance echoed the sentiments felt across the broader sporting landscape—every match is a learning experience, every defeat a step towards greater resilience. The Rams demonstrated the enduring spirit of competition, even amidst the shadow of disappointment, providing a lesson in sportsmanship as they grappled with their exit from the championship chase.
In stark contrast was the experience of the Wyoming Cowboys, who faced Bay Village Bay in a gripping Division IV semifinal where the game hinged on a penalty kick awarded in the second overtime. A thrilling contest, Wyoming’s steady determination in battling back from an early 1-0 deficit showcased the grit typical of high school athletes. Yet when the decisive penalty was conceded, it elicited a sense of profound loss among the twelve seniors whose time with the team came to a sudden halt. Reflecting on the heartbreak of close battles fought with resolve, Wyoming’s experience emphasized the ever-present tension within high school sports: triumph is often entwined with deep loss, a theme that resonates in the lives of young athletes.
Notably, the journey of Summit Country Day added yet another layer to this tapestry of highs and lows. The Silver Knights made a spectacular comeback from a challenging regular season, underlining the unpredictable nature of sporting competitions. Their progression to the Division V finals demonstrated the potential for unexpected success when teams harness their abilities, adapt, and rise above past struggles. With a late-game equalizer and a clutch winning goal, Summit’s narrative was a testament to determination and capturing the moment—qualities that define not just successful teams but the essence of community sports.
Throughout these matches, the larger socio-cultural dimensions of high school soccer emerged vividly. As students and spectators gathered under the autumn sky, soccer became a communal experience transcending the mere play on the field. It drew together individuals from various backgrounds to rally behind their teams, fostering unity and camaraderie. The adrenaline of competition softened by the warmth of community support creates an environment where these young athletes not only forge memories on the turf but also long-lasting relationships.
The backdrop of the OHSAA finals serves as a reminder of the continuing evolution of high school sports within the Cincinnati community—where victories are celebrated and losses are mourned, but the true essence lies in the shared experiences that reignite spirit and connection within the tapestry of youth athletics. Whether it is Kings’ rising triumph, Summit’s tenacity, or St. Xavier’s heart-wrenching defeat, the narratives weave together a broader story of resilience, hope, and community—a story that continues to unfold in the hearts and minds of these young athletes long after the final whistle blows.
Five Cincinnati boys soccer teams played Nov. 5 for a chance to reach the Ohio High School Athletic Association state championships.
St. Xavier, Kings, Badin, Wyoming and Summit Country Day played in state semifinals from Division I through Division V. The winners advanced to the finals at Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus on either Nov. 9 or Nov. 10.
Here’s how the matches went down and who advanced.
Division I: St. Xavier shut out by Dublin Jerome, 5-0
St. Xavier couldn’t get much going on offense all night as the Bombers fell 5-0 in a Division I state semifinal at Springfield High School.
The Bombers finish with a 12-5-4 record and the Celtics improve to 14-3-5. St. Xavier was in the state semis for the first time since 2020. Jerome will go to the finals for the first time in team history after coming in with a 0-3 record in the semifinal round.
“It’s tough to lose anytime that it happens at the end of the season,” head coach Brian Schaeper said. “The seniors that have worked really hard, that have been here for four years, I’m just thinking about them and the disappointment of their time coming to an end for St. X soccer.”
The Celtics posted their fifth consecutive shutout and 13th for the season. The Bombers rarely made a tough challenge on the goal. The Celtics have allowed only 12 goals for the year as they advance to the state final on Nov. 10.
“They have tough, big, strong defenders,” Schaeper said. “They really trust those back defenders. There were opportunities to capitalize on it. We didn’t, but they’re good players.”
It was a rematch of the state semis 20 years ago, in 2005, when the Bombers won in penalty kicks after a scoreless draw. Jerome head coach Nate Maust was also the head coach for that game, and Henry Ahrens, the St. X head coach then, was on the sideline with the Bombers tonight.
The Bombers were hoping to add to their one state championship, which they won in 1983, but they dropped to 2-5 in their seven all-time trips to the semifinal round.
Jerome junior Patty Breedlove scored in front of the Bombers goal with a minute to play in the half. He got a foot on the ball after the Celtics put a dangerous corner kick that curved to St. X keeper James McKernan near the goal line. McKernan couldn’t cleanly catch the ball in traffic and Breedlove scored his seventh goal of the season, tying him for team leadership.
The Bombers nearly tied it in on a header in the final seconds of the half. Those were the most dangerous opportunities for either team in the first 40 minutes.
Jerome scored with 25:29 to go in the second half on a hard line drive by senior Crew Maust from 12 yards out to make it 2-0. That was his seventh of the season to tie Breedlove.
The Bombers rarely challenged the net after that as the Celtics defense took over.
Brady Delmore scored in transition with 10 minutes left to make it 3-0. Thirty seconds later, the Celtics drew a penalty on the Bombers in frustration, and Cal DeWalt made it 4-0. The Celtics added a fifth from Josh Stibel with 3:48 to go.
Schaeper had the Bombers be more aggressive on offense, which opened the door for the final three goals.
“The score doesn’t matter as much as the fact that it’s just the end of the journey of this season for these guys,” Schaeper said. “We hope that the work that they put in carries well beyond the soccer field, the friendships that they made, and the lessons that come from the game.”
St. Xavier seniors are Brian Bolan, Will Mueller, Jonathan Weeks, Sammy Habtom, David Jackson, Kenji Perez-Pena, Alex Haddad, Freddie Kinney, Will Burkart and Rowdy Scheer.
Five of them started tonight. Scheer had a team-high nine goals. Haddad had six. Burkhart, Mueller, Weeks and Perez-Pena chipped in two apiece and Bolan and Jackson, one.
Division II: ‘Pickles’ play sends Kings to first state final
LONDON, Ohio ‒ Kings coach Christian Hay places enough trust in senior forward Kevin Cyrus to let him choose his position on corner kicks, and that was the case in the final minute of the second overtime of a Division II state semifinal Nov. 5.
On a play Cyrus called “pickles,” he planted himself in front of the net, took a header on the throw from senior midfielder Zach Arnold and put the ball past Westerville Central goalkeeper Bryan Ramirez to give the Knights a 1-0 win and their first finals berth.
KNIGHTS ARE HEADING TO THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME. With 0:53 left in double OT Kevin Cyrus buries the GAME WINNER pic.twitter.com/ApQ4Psm7o9
— Kings Athletic Department (@kingsathletics) November 6, 2025
“I asked my other teammate, Royce Hawkins, to set a screen for me; that’s called ‘pickles’ (where) he sets a screen for me to get free and run to the near post,” Cyrus said. “Zach dropped it right to my head and I got it in the goal.”
Kings (15-2-4), whose only other trip to state came in 1995 and ended in a semifinal loss, will face Avon (16-2-3) in the final at 1 p.m. Nov. 9 at Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus.
Avon clinched its first title game appearance with a 2-1 overtime win over Brecksville-Broadview Heights in the other semifinal at Twinsburg.
“We drew up a couple different plays … but I knew if we shifted a few more numbers into the box, we had (Cyrus) as a big target,” Hay said. “It was a decision he made on his own. I give him that freedom in those moments. They made the adjustment at the right time.”
Neither team put a shot on goal for the first 70:30, generally snuffing out the others’ chances on corners or free kicks well outside the net amid a stiff northerly wind. Most of the action in regulation was played into the wind.
Cyrus had an excellent chance to break the stalemate with 18 minutes left, firing a shot just wide.
Kings midfielder Sam Wik finally put a shot on net with 9:30 left in regulation, but it became the first of three saves for Central (14-5-3) goalie Bryan Ramirez.
“It was going to be a battle of second balls and who was composed in those moments,” Hay said. “It was an absolute stalemate for those 70 minutes-plus. Both sides got dangerous toward the end. It wasn’t always pretty.”
Division III: Dream run ends for Badin in state semifinals
In their third straight overtime match of the postseason, the Rams saw their season come to an end against Bishop Watterson, falling 1-0 in overtime.
Badin head coach Eric Hickey told his team in the postgame huddle that this was a season of firsts for the Rams, and no team after this one would ever be the first to get this far.
“I said after the last game that it would take a herculean effort to knock us out, and that team threw everything at us, and we withstood and withstood, but they were the better side,” Hickey said.
The first half was a defensive masterclass as both teams displayed a strong back line. Greyson Kelley, Luke Hickey, Max Snellgrove and Tanner Questa had a little more work to do than normal holding off a powerful Eagles’ offense that was orchestrated by Alex Das and Logan Bills. The Rams sporadically gained extended possession, but every through ball and attempted cross was met by Watterson’s defense.
It didn’t help that Joe Jung, a four-year player for Badin, was stuck on the sidelines because of a red card he picked up in the regional semifinal.
Goalkeeper Cole Parr was seriously tested twice in the first 40 minutes. With 13:45 left in the half, he was forced to come out of the box to break up a Watterson breakaway attack. Seven minutes later, his attempt to field a free kick came up short as the ball was deflected over his hands but wide of the post.
After a frantic end to the first period, the players flicked the ball around just as quickly coming out of the break. The difference was that Watterson’s offensive build-up was much more structured. Sam Meacham had two golden chances in the final 15 minutes, but both were saved by a sliding Parr, who had allowed just nine goals entering the match.
“(Parr) stood on his head. My hat goes off to him. I thought it should have been two in regulation, at least, but he played really, really well,” Bishop Watterson head coach Aaron Linden said.
Meacham wouldn’t hang his head for long. As overtime began, the Eagles once again asserted their dominance with constant pressure on Badin’s back line. Just over four minutes in, he was the one to send the free kick in to the near post, where Grayson Davis’s header dribbled past the Badin defense for a 1-0 win.
Badin graduates seven seniors in Parr, Questa, Luke Hickey, Snellgrove, Joe Jung, Colt Long and Dylan Hartman. They went 51-17-3 in four years.
All season, the Rams started six seniors and five sophomores.
“There was nothing left to give. They left everything they had on the field,” Eric Hickey said. “I am so proud of these guys and what they accomplished. What they did was take Badin over the hump and put us back on the map.”
Wyoming: Cowboys fall in 2OT after conceding penalty kick
The Wyoming Cowboys met Bay Village Bay in the Division IV state semifinals, where their season ended on a Rockets’ penalty kick in the second overtime period.
Wyoming (18-2-4) trailed 1-0 at halftime but evened the score on a corner from junior Everett Johnson with 35:15 left in regulation. The Cowboys and the Rockets were even through regulation and the opening overtime period.
With 3:38 left in the second overtime period, Wyoming committed a foul and a penalty kick was awarded to Bay. The Rockets converted, ending Wyoming’s season as state semifinalists.
Bay will meet Worthington Christian in the Division IV state finals on Nov. 9.
Twelve seniors from Wyoming wrapped up their Cowboys soccer careers in the semifinals. Those Cowboys are Jacob Erhart, Rocco Fischer, Cooper Hinkel, Ian Hummel, Evan Kozak, Seth Kyle, Elliott Martin, Jack Millar, Jackson Teras, Henry Walker, Nicholas Wilhelm and Eli Yunker.
Division V: Summit Country Day back in state finals with two clutch goals
The Division V state championship will come down to two teams that were below .500 at the end of the regular season.
Summit Country Day (11-6-6) sophomore Beckett Brinkman scored a game-tying goal on a free kick with just five seconds left in regulation against Milford Center Fairbanks. Fairbanks had been leading the Silver Knights since scoring a goal just over three minutes into the second half.
The game-tying goal from Beckett Brinkman with 5 seconds left that sent us to Golden Goal🤯
Ice. In. His. Veins
🎥: Fan Cam from the Student Section pic.twitter.com/8um5AFoEJb
— Summit Athletics (@SCDAthletics) November 6, 2025
The Silver Knights kicked the golden goal and avoided penalty kicks, thanks to the game-winner from another sophomore, Sam Viltro.
The defending champions will play in the Division V state championship again and will try to win their ninth boys soccer state championship. Summit Country Day will play Toledo Ottawa Hills (12-9-2) in the championship game at 4 p.m. on Nov. 10 at Historic Crew Stadium.
Both Summit Country Day and Ottawa Hills, playing difficult regular-season schedules, were under .500 at the beginning of the postseason. The Silver Knights started the playoffs 5-6-6 and Ottawa Hills was 6-9-2.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Kings, Summit Country Day advance to OHSAA boys soccer state finals