Decade of dominance: Lexington punches ticket to 10th straight district title soccer match

SHELBY — A little more than 24 hours before their Division II district semifinal match against Ontario, the Lexington Minutemen found out they would be without leading scorer Zachary Turlo.

The senior midfielder suffered a sprained MCL during a Sunday morning practice as Lex prepared for their Monday tournament game and just like that, the entire gameplan changed.

And it still didn't stop them. With a 1-0 victory over the Warriors, Lexington punched its ticket to its 10th consecutive district championship game and gave themselves an opportunity to win their sixth title in a row at 6 p.m. on Thursday at Shelby against Norwalk, a 1-0 winner over Mansfield Senior in the other semifinal match.

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"With Turlo getting hurt, it changes things for us," Lexington coach Peter Them said. "The middle of the park is huge for us and what we do on a daily basis and Zach is the guy who is our brain and gets us going. We missed him tonight for sure, but we had guys step up and learn on the fly tonight. Talent-wise, I knew we were capable, but it was all about if we could put the pieces together."

The Minutemen scored the game's only goal with 9:58 remaining in the match when Jack Hiebel found the ball at his feet after Terrance Corbin lofted a ball into the box and Iram Sanchez tapped it Hiebel's way and he took care of the rest.

"It feels amazing to put that goal in," Hiebel said. "I honestly don't remember what happened or how the ball got to me. It bounced around a couple of people and it came to me in the box and I took that chance going for the bottom left corner and it hit."

Them was thrilled his senior stepped up in a big way.

"I love the way Jack plays and tonight, we asked him to do something to help the team and play the 10 to fill that role," Them said. "He is a converted striker and we put him in a tough position, but he took on that challenge and came up big for us. It all worked out because of the way he has battled all year long. That was a great finish."

Hiebel knew it would be a challenge to play Turlo's position, but was up for the challenge.

"Zach is one of the most vital players to our team and when we found out he was out, it was a huge loss, but it meant I had to step up," Hiebel said. "I was told I would have to play the 10. I was so nervous because Zach's work rate is immense and it is a tough position to fill."

Ontario came out and played about as well as the Warriors could have hoped taking a 0-0 tie into halftime and keeping it that way through the first 30 minutes of the second half. It was a far cry from the 4-1 loss the Warriors took to the Minutemen in Game 1 of the season.

"I think both teams made major steps forward this season," Ontario coach Steve Armstrong said. "Our boys played hard and gave it everything they had. But the credit goes to Lexington for getting one in the net."

The Warriors, who are 2-21-2 against Lexington over the last 18 seasons, seemed to take the perfect game plan into the semifinal match.

"We told ourselves we were going to break the game down into 16 five-minute periods and we have to win every five minutes," Armstrong said. "The boys did it until the last six. But sometimes, the ball just doesn't bounce our way. We will hold our heads high because they left it all on the field today and they have nothing to be ashamed of."

Armstrong, Ontario's first-year coach, led the Warriors to a 9-6-2 record and the program's seventh consecutive Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference championship. Overall, it was a successful year and one where eight seniors embraced the new coach. Austin Baughton, Pablo Sanchez-Vidal, Roberto Espinoza-Canzobre, Dante McGinty, Dylan Bernat, Diondre Cantey, Caleb Barabani and Ezra Pearce played their final game for the Warriors.

"It was a blast," Armstrong said. "Getting to know the boys, the parents and the Ontario culture was so much fun. It will be so tough losing these eight seniors. I will always remember this group for being my first and welcoming me with open arms. It is a special group of guys."

Lexington (14-3-1) moves on to Thursday's district championship match after winning the last five in a row.

"It is amazing because we have had so many great players come through this program and those are the shoes you want to fill and do everything you can to keep the legacy going," Hiebel said.

It is an annual expectation that the Minutemen bring him a district championship and this year will be no different.

"This is why we do it," Them said. "It is why we are here. It is why we drive to Bowling Green on a Thursday night and get home in the middle of the night in a regular season game. It is why we fight all season. It is all about hanging banners and winning trophies. They aren't going to be pretty, but we will take them any way we can get them. We just gotta get the next one. Eight straight championship games speaks volumes about these boys and the guys who came before them. These kids shoulder the pressure every day and I am just proud of them."

jfurr@gannett.com

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This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Lexington Minutemen beat Ontario Warriors in Division II district soccer