Scott Boys' Soccer Team Ends Ryle's Regional Win Streak

10/20 Boys' Soccer: Scott Takes Down St. Henry On Own Goal

UNION, Ky. – Only one ball went into the net in the Scott-St. Henry 9th Region semifinal on Tuesday, and it didn’t go off the foot of the winning team.  The Eagles won, 1-0 on an own goal at the end of the first half on Tuesday at Ryle. Scott advances to play the host Raiders at 7 p.m. on Thursday for the regional championship.

St. Henry junior defender Kevin Baeten, being pursued by Scott freshman Logan Batson, tried to kick the ball back to his goalkeeper, junior Nick Smith. Smith had run up and was attempting to grab the loose ball, but the pass rolled under him and into the net.   “Just a miscommunication,” St. Henry coach Steve Hahn said. “Keeper’s calling for the ball off his head, and (Baeten’s) looking to play the ball back at the keeper’s feet.”

And while St. Henry had far more scoring chances than Scott, whose offense did not physically score a goal, coach Casey Seibert points out that the own goal was a result of his offense’s pressure.  “If Logan Batson doesn’t pressure that defender, that defender lets the ball go and the keeper picks it up, and they’re fine,” Seibert said.

Eagles junior goalkeeper Matt Kees made 12 saves – including several on high-percentage shots – to record his 10th shutout of the season.   “Their goalie had a great game,” Hahn said. “I give him a ton of credit: He did a great job of keeping the ball out of the back of the net and being aggressive in the box.”   Said Seibert, who was a goalkeeper for Simon Kenton and Northern Kentucky University: “(Kees) scares me sometimes, but he’s very confident in what he can do, and he has great hands.”

The Crusaders took control early. Junior Jesse Zilio fired a shot just wide five minutes in, then senior Jake Hils dribbled in and fired a shot that was caught cleanly by Kees at the 13-minute mark.  Hils had two more scoring chances in the next eight minutes, but Kees’ positioning was outstanding and St. Henry could not find the net. 

 Scott’s first major scoring threat came with 10 minutes left in the half, when senior Cameron Batson hit junior Alec Robbins with a centering pass, but Robbins was unable to beat Smith.    St. Henry raced back down the field, and Hils fed Zillo, who was denied on a sliding save by Kees.   With four minutes left before halftime, Robbins blasted a free kick just wide of the far crossbar.   Then Scott took the lead on the own goal with less than a minute remaining in the half.

St. Henry kept the pressure on the second half, again generating more scoring chances than the Eagles.   “It was very nerve-racking,” Robbins said. “You just have to trust in your defense and keeper to get the ball out.”
Senior Ryan Anderson made a through pass to senior Chris Rieger, who fired a shot that just missed the far post two minutes in. Kees had to pounce on a loose ball during a four-player scramble eight minutes later.
St. Henry junior Matt Leese was alone with Kees 15 minutes into the half, but his shot was denied by Kees’ feet.   Kees had to dive to corral a long shot from Hils with 11 minutes left, then Rieger shot just wide a minute later.   Senior Ryan Anderson had another chance with three minutes left, but his shot missed inches above the crossbar.    Twice in the final two minutes, there were massive pileups of bodies in Kees’ box, but again the Crusaders were unable to even the score.    “It was a crazy game, and I was scared many times, but our defense held on,” Kees said.

The last two times these teams met in the regionals were both in the finals, both were 1-0 games, and both represented the last time each of these teams have won the 9th Region tournament.    St. Henry was the regional champion in 2005, and Scott won it in 2004.    This was the sixth time the Crusaders have been shut out this season, but St. Henry scored seven goals in its two district games.    “It’s tough, but that’s the name of the game,” Hahn said. “You’ve got to put the ball in the back of the net.   “We had the opportunities. It would be even more upsetting if we didn’t have the opportunities.”

Scott has not allowed a goal in the postseason, and the Eagles are surrendering just 1.05 goals per game.
“It was chaotic three-quarters of the game, and they did possess the majority of it,” Seibert said. “We did a lot of ball chasing, but we did what we had to do.”

 HALFTIME: 1-0. GOAL: S—own goal. SHUTOUT: Kees (12 saves). RECORDS: Scott 16-3-2, St. Henry 12-7-1.

10/16 Boys' Soccer: Scott Shuts Out Villa In District Final

Junior Alec Robbins scored two goals and junior Matt Kees recorded his ninth shutout as Scott blanked Villa Madonna, 4-0 in the 18th District final on Friday.   Robbins, who netted the first goal of the game early in the first half and the Eagles’ final goal in the second half, has scored 24 times this season.  Senior forward Matt Bunton recorded his first career assist on Scott’s second goal.

HALFTIME: 3-0. GOALS: S—Robbins 2, Wagner, L. Batson. SHUTOUT: Kees (9 saves). RECORDS: Scott 15-3-2, Villa Madonna 6-8-5.

10/14 Boys' Soccer: Scott Blanks Simon To Advance To District Final

Senior forward Dexter Morgan scored two goals and added an assist as Scott blanked Simon Kenton, 5-0 Wednesday in an 18th District semifinal at Dixie Heights.

Junior midfielder Richie Supe dished for two assists for the Eagles, who will play Villa Madonna in the district final at 8 p.m. on Friday.

10/6 Boys' Soccer: Robbins Scores 2 As Scott Edges Highlands

Junior Alec Robbins scored both Scott goals as the Eagles edged Highlands, 2-1 on Tuesday.  Robbins, who now has 21 goals on the season, netted his first in the first half, assisted by senior center midfielder Cameron Batson.

After Highlands tied the score early in the second half, Robbins took a crossing feed from junior center midfielder Dexter Morgan and deposited it in the net to with 17 minutes left in the game.

HALFTIME: Scott, 1-0. GOALS: S—Robbins 2. H—Lewis. RECORDS: Scott 13-3-2, Highlands 9-7. JV: 1-1.

9/22 Boys' Soccer: Scott Blanks Cooper Behind Robbins' Goals

Junior forward Alec Robbins scored twice as Scott shut out Cooper, 3-0 on Tuesday in a game called at halftime because of lightning.

Robbins, who scored the Eagles’ second and third goals, has now scored 14 goals this season.

Junior center midfielder Dexter Morgan netted the first goal of the night for Scott to give the team a lead it would not relinquish.

Junior Matt Kees stopped six shots to record his sixth shutout of the season.
Scott also had a game vs. Conner called at the half due to lightning earlier this season. 
 
The Eagles also won that game, 3-0.

HALFTIME: 3-0. GOALS: S—Robbins 2, Morgan. SHUTOUT: Kees (6 saves). RECORDS: Scott 10-2, Cooper 1-7. JV: Scott, 2-1.

Colonels, Eagles respond to challenges

The boys soccer programs at Covington Catholic and Scott high schools are playing with confidence heading into the final weeks of the regular season.

Each program has been tested early in the season and responded to the challenges.

Both are poised to take the top seed in their respective districts and both aim to advance to the state tournament when postseason play begins next month.

CovCath and Scott faced each other Sept. 17 in one of northern Kentucky's biggest prep soccer matches of the season.

Entering the contest, Scott was ranked No. 2 in the Enquirer Coaches' Poll, while Cov Cath was ranked No. 3.

The teams played to a scoreless tie in the first half.

The Colonels rallied early in the second half, scoring two goals in the first seven minutes.

Sophomore Evan Talkers scored both goals on assists from Trey Evans.

The Colonels went on to defeat the Eagles 4-0.

"Scott did a great job pressuring the ball and we were holding it just a second too long in the first half," said CovCath head coach Al Herstenberg. "We tried to open up the field a little bit in the second half and spread their defense."

With the win, CovCath improved to 6-5 on the season.

The record is not indicative of the progress the Colonels have made this season.

Playing a brutal non-conference schedule which includes three of the top 10 teams in Cincinnati's Division I.

The Colonels lost five straight games before reeling off four in a row. They have yet to lose to a northern Kentucky team.

"Our goal is to play quality opponents early in the season to figure out who we are," Herstenberg said. "We lost five in a row, but we got better each time we played a tough opponent."

Talkers leads the team with nine goals. Forward Michael Huffmyer leads the Colonels with 11 assists. Backed by the defense of Garrett Justice, Matt McDonald, Jacob Toebben, and Logan Siemer, the Colonels aim to shut out the rest of their opponents this season.

They have allowed a total of two goals in their six victories. Goalie Brett Futscher has posted three shutouts.

"Our defense has really come together," said Herstenberg. "If our defense plays well, I'm confident we will score goals. Our defense will get us to state."

For the Eagles, the Cov Cath loss was a disappointment, especially after the two teams played to a draw in the first half.

Fortunately for Scott, they did not have time to mourn the loss. The Eagles hosted rival Simon Kenton two days later and posted a 5-0 win.

"It was a big show of character for our kids to come back the way we did," said head coach Casey Seibert. "We wanted to play again as soon as possible (after the CovCath loss) and we had to forget about that one quickly."

Junior Alec Robbins leads the team with 12 goals and eight assists. Seibert is confident that Robbins will earn All-State honors at the end of the season.

Junior Dexter Morgan has chipped in five goals for the Eagles, who are now 9-2 on the season. Scott won its first six games to open the season after winning just seven games all last season.

"I'm extremely happy with where we're at now," said Seibert, in his first year leading the Eagles. "The kids are working hard and are starting to jell."

The schedule over the final weeks of the regular season will be a big test for the Eagles. They travel to Ryle on Sept. 26, where Seibert was a varsity assistant for five years before taking the head job at Scott.

They then travel to Villa Madonna on Sept. 29 with the top seed in the district on the line. The Eagles close the season at top-ranked Highlands.

"We have some big tests coming up," Seibert said. "Those will be good measuring sticks for us heading into the tournament."

It is possible that the Eagles can double their win total from last season. The turnaround would be a testament not just to Seibert and his staff, but to the players who have committed to turning the program around.

Senior captains Cameron Batson and Chad Allender are two of the five seniors who "are doing whatever they can to help the team," Seibert said.

Showing resolve after the CovCath loss was a big step for the Eagles. Seibert is hopeful that his team recognizes what they are capable of accomplishing this season.

"We need to stay focused and continue to stay mentally tough," he said. "The boys are seeing that their hard work pays off."

Scott Boys' Soccer Off To 9-2 Start Under New Coach

On Sept. 19, the Scott boys’ soccer team won its ninth game of the season with a 5-0 blanking of Simon Kenton.
The Eagles won just eight games all of last year, and were eliminated from the district tournament in the first round with a 3-2 loss to Dixie Heights.

The varsity head coaching career of Casey Seibert is off to a successful start, as his team has completely reversed course in his first season heading the program. “The main thing is making the kids a little more accountable for what they’re doing,” Seibert said. “They have to have the will to win.”

Seibert graduated from Simon Kenton in 1995, and was the starting goalkeeper for Northern Kentucky University his freshman year of college. In 2004-08 he was a junior varsity head coach and varsity assistant at Ryle.  Considering his history in net, it comes as no surprise that Seibert wants his team to focus more on defense than in previous seasons.  “I played goalkeeper, so I’ve always been defensive-oriented,” Seibert said. “I think that the biggest thing is (last season) we were trying to win games, 6-3, 5-2. Now we’re winning games, 1-0.”

Scott has posted five shutouts, all by junior Matt Kees. He blanked four of Scott’s first seven opponents, and the Eagles surrendered just three goals in that span.  “He’s got great hands,” Seibert said. “He knows how to get the defense where it’s supposed to be.”  Kees has played every game this season, posting a 1.2 goals-against average.

Junior sweeper Dylan Lankheit has also been a key to the rejuvenated Scott defense, and has already proven his toughness to Seibert. Lankheit played an entire game with a stress fracture in his ankle earlier this season.
“He makes sure that my other defenders are where they’re supposed to be on the field,” Seibert said. “He’s my coach on the field.”

Senior midfielder/forward Cameron Batson has been a key in setting up the Scott offense with his ball-control and passing ability. Batson has three goals, and is second on the team with five assists.

Newcomer junior center midfielder Dexter Morgan has stepped in and scored five goals – second-best on the team – and dished for four assists. “Dexter’s good on the ball and off the ball,” Seibert said. “He can score from anywhere on the field, and he finds people when they need to be found. He’s the one that gets the offense started.”

But the key offensive component for the Eagles is senior Alec Robbins, who is averaging over a goal a game. He has 12 goals this season after scoring 23 goals in 2008. He also has eight assists, which pleases Seibert, who said before the season he wants to see Robbins increase his number of helpers.  “The challenge I’ve given him is: For every goal, he needs to get an assist, if he wants to be a complete player,” Seibert said.

Scott won its first seven games before dropping two of three, but after the win against his former high school, the Eagles are 9-2 with seven games to play in the regular season. After 11 games last season, Scott had surrendered 25 goals. This year, the Eagles have allowed 15.  “In past years, they’ve been more of a run-and-gun team,” Seibert said. “What I hang my hat on is: We win the game with defense.”

Boys' Soccer: Morgan Leads Scott To Win Over Conner With 2 Goals

Junior center midfielder Dexter Morgan scored two goals, 12 minutes apart as Scott downed Conner, 3-0 on Tuesday.  Morgan netted his first goal 10 minutes in, and added his second with 18 minutes remaining in the first half.

Junior striker Alec Robbins iced the game by scoring 10 minutes before halftime.

The game was called at the half because of lightning.

HALFTIME: 3-0. GOALS: S—Morgan 2, Robbins. SHUTOUT: Kees (6 saves). RECORDS: Scott 6-0, Conner 4-3-1. JV: Scott, 5-0.

Boys' Soccer: Scott Rallies To Beat Dixie

After falling behind by a goal in the first half, Scott scored consecutive second-half goals as the Eagles edged Dixie Heights, 2-1 on Thursday.

Junior striker Alec Robbins scored on a volley from 20 yards out, 10 minutes in the second half to tie the score.

With 17 minutes remaining, sophomore center midfielder Jared Wagner netted a goal off a crossing pass to give Scott the lead.

HALFTIME: Dixie Heights, 1-0. GOALS: S—Robbins, Wagner. DH—Feltner. RECORDS: Scott 5-0, Dixie Heights 3-5. JV: 0-0.

Missed opportunity doesn't haunt Eagles
Without top goal scorer, Supe steps up for Scott
By Ryan Ernst
rernst@enquirer.com

With the area's top goal scorer on the bench nursing a knee injury, the Scott boys' soccer team is welcoming any and all forms of offensive fortuitousness.

The Eagles squandered a heaping helping of it Tuesday at Holy Cross, when junior Richie Supe couldn't convert a first-half penalty kick.

"We all felt good about it; he's a really good shot," said Supe's brother Stephen, a senior. "He just got kind of unlucky, I guess."

Stephen Supe turned the family's fortunes around in the second half, scoring both goals in a 2-0 victory that raised the Eagles' record to 4-0. The afternoon marked Scott's first full game without junior Alec Robbins, who led Northern Kentucky with 22 goals last season. He sprained his medial collateral ligament last week against Campbell County.

"That changes things a little bit," said Scott coach Casey Seibert. "We're kind of at ease when Alec's out there. We know we have someone to go to. He keeps the pace of the game going. He makes our team go by getting the ball and getting other kids the ball. That's one of the things we struggled with in the first half. The pace of the game was really slow."

Scott got its best scoring opportunity with 5:30 to play in the first half when a Daniel Arnado foul and subsequent red card in the penalty box gave Richie Supe a point blank shot.

"That was something we worked on last night at practice," Seibert said. "We spent probably 30 minutes on it. We told them to keep it low. Richie did that."

Holy Cross goalkeeper Luke Knochelman dove to his left to make the save and send the teams into halftime scoreless.

Stephen Supe opened the scoring four minutes into the second half, knocking home a rebound off a shot from Logan Batson. He scored again with 6:21 to play and nearly recorded a hat trick a minute later. Supe found himself open in front of the Holy Cross net, but couldn't corral the center pass from Josh Schneider.

"I kind of messed it up," Supe said. "I was trying to do a one-touch, but it didn't work out."

The goals were Supe's second and third of the season.

The Eagles enter Thursday's district game against Dixie Heights undefeated under Seibert, who came to Scott after serving for five years as an assistant at Ryle. While there, he helped the Raiders reach the 2006 state finals.

"I'm trying to take what I learned there and my own coaching experience and instill it here at Scott," he said. "Scott's got great tradition. I played at Simon Kenton in the '90s and played against Scott when they were a powerhouse. I'm happy about the challenge in front of us - trying to get the program back to where it was."

Scott is coming off an 8-11-1 campaign, a season that ended with a double-overtime loss to Dixie Heights in the district tournament.

Boys' Soccer: Supe Scores Twice As Scott Shuts Out Holy Cross 

Senior midfielder Stephen Supe scored twice in the second half as Scott blanked Holy Cross, 2-0 on Tuesday.

Supe, who now has three goals on the season, netted the game’s first goal halfway through the second half, and he iced the game with his second goal with eight minutes left.

Junior Matt Kees turned aside eight shots for his third shutout of the season.

HALFTIME: 0-0. GOALS: S—Supe 2. SHUTOUT: Kees (8 saves). RECORDS: Scott 4-0, Holy Cross 2-4.

Boys' Soccer:  Kees Stops 17 As Scott Shuts Out Campbell

Junior Matt Kees turned aside 17 shots as Scott blanked Campbell County, 2-0 on Tuesday.

Junior Alec Robbins scored his fourth goal of the season and added an assist, and junior Richie Supe tallied his second for the Eagles, who won their third straight game.

GOALS: S—Robbins, Supe. SHUTOUT: Kees (17 saves). RECORDS: Scott 3-0, Campbell County 0-1.

Kenton County boys' soccer strikes

Scott

Casey Seibert takes over as head coach for the Eagles, who were 7-9-1 last year.

Junior Alec Robbins had 22 goals last year to be one of Northern Kentucky's top scorers.

Matt Kees returns in goal with a 1.72 GAA average last year. Senior Chadd Allender returns in the back, and Dexter Morgan is a top returner in the midfield.

"This year's team will be very talented and skilled with a range of older and younger players all determined to end the season with a bang and some shiny hardware to go along with it," Seibert said. "A great group of seniors will be counted on to lead a very talented group of younger players to a successful season. The new coaching staff has their eyes set on a very successful first season at Scott with many, many more to come."

The Eagles began the year 2-0. Robbins had three of the team's six goals in the wins.