Philo boys soccer got a rough-and-tumble match from Morgan. Here's why it didn't matter.
DUNCAN FALLS — The Jakob McElhaney Era is off and running for Philo boys soccer.
First-half goals from Andrew Van Meter and Gage Wickham stood up in the Electrics' 2-0 win against visiting Morgan on Thursday night in a Muskingum Valley League crossover at the Philo Athletic Complex.
Philo improved to 2-1, which also includes a season-opening win against Sarahsville Shenandoah.
This conquest, against a veteran Raider club expected to contend for the Small School Division, carried much more water, however.
Here is what we learned.
1. Tactical changes helping Philo defense
One of McElhaney's first moves after taking over as coach in the summer was changing formations from a 3-5-2 to a 4-4-2, something he felt could help keep the team in more games.
He has been right so far, although some stiffer tests await in the Big School Division. They held the Raiders, playing without junior forward Tavian Myers, to five shots on goal in the first half in building a two-goal lead.
Goalie Hunter Wallace produced a clean sheet on eight saves, and McElhaney has encouraged him to stay positive.
"I just wanted the extra defenders in the back, and I felt like we didn't have three solid midfielders to play," McElhaney said. "We had two, so I just wanted to put those two in the middle. It's working well. Maysville beat us 6-1, but they've got three of the best players in the league. Tonight it obviously worked well for us."
2. Coaches not fans of rough-and-rowdy antics
The match was expectedly physical, enough that Wickham drew a yellow card for initiating extensive contact with Morgan's Jude Garber near the midfield mark in the second half. Garber was also carded in the game.
It merely was a continuance of play in the first half — and recent meetings between the teams — when the physicality pushed the limits of acceptance.
Morgan coach Robert Cunningham pulled no punches with his feelings on the matter.
"They have been coached wrong for so many years," Cunningham said. "They would rather wreck somebody than play the ball. I've been fighting that out of them since I got them as freshmen. I agree with aggressive play, but then there is nonsense. We had a whole lot of nonsense with that team when I first got them.
"They've gotten a lot better," Cunningham added. "There would have been a fight out here tonight if we hadn't have (progressed)."
One dust up led to a free kick from Garber around the eight-minute mark of the second half. He scored after being fouled on the play, appearing to cut the lead in half. It was waved off because the ball didn't touch another body before reaching the goal, however.
Philo clamped down the rest of the way.
"I tell them to be physical, but not above the bar," McElhaney said. "The whole pushing and shoving thing, I knew they were going to come out fighting. I knew they were going to try and get in their heads, and I told them, 'do not let that happen because that won't be good.' I think they still did. We just got lucky they didn't score."
sblackbu@gannett.com; Twitter: @SamBlackburnTR
This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Philo boys soccer undeterred by physical play against Morgan Raiders
