Ryle falls to St. X in state final

LEXINGTON, Ky. - The final score hardly did justice to the match.

St. Xavier blanked Ryle 3-0 Saturday in the finals of the KHSAA State Soccer Championships, held at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School.

“I don’t think the final score reflects exactly how close the game was,” Ryle striker Cole Willoughby said. “And I think they would say the same thing. … We just wanted to come out here and compete, and we gave it our all.”

Led by tournament MVP Nathan James, the Tigers claimed a record 11th boys’ state crown.

“It’s not about this award,” said James, a senior. “It’s about the team. It feels great to win State. ... These guys are great, and I love every one of them.”

The top-ranked Tigers, winning their 26th consecutive match, topped off a 27-1-1 season. Overall, they outscored opponents 124-15.

The title is their fourth in five years and seventh since 2000.

Mitchell Metzger, Neil Henley and Danny Belza scored, while James came up with several spectacular saves to keep the ninth-ranked Raiders at bay.

“My kids worked hard,” Ryle Coach Stephen Collins said. “We went out and gave it all we’ve got and just met a buzzsaw of a team today.”

In the first half, James got a hand up to tip Connor Jordan’s bullet of a shot off and over the crossbar.

“A little bit in the sun,” James said. “I was off-balance and just got as much as I could on it; just keep it out of the net.”

Metzger had the only goal of the half, 4:47 in, assisted by Henley.

The Raiders (23-3-3) continued to press in the second half.

Willoughby worked his way into the penalty box on the right wing. James came out to make the stop, but couldn’t control the rebound.

Teammate Drew Hillebrand made a sliding kick save just as Willoughby was about to re-fire.

“The keeper had one — I can’t say the word — but one heck of a game,” Willoughby said. “He made outstanding saves.

“In the first half, I had one and he made an outstanding save on a free kick. In the second half, I took a free kick, bounced right back to me, left-footed shot. I thought for sure it was going in. … He stopped it. That’s what they had to do, and that’s why they got the ‘W’.”

A few minutes after Willoughby’s near-goal, Ryle’s Tyrus Sciarra put a shot just wide of the net.

Then, Henley made it 2-0 at the 50:15 mark.

Ryle keeper Chris Froschauer, an all-tournament pick, came out to stop Henley’s initial attempt. The goal came on a sharp-angle rebound, from a yard or so off the end line.

“Their keeper made three or four fantastic saves on a couple of our shots to keep them up,” Collins said. “If we had gotten a couple of those, the flow – I think we could have made this a better run. But then when they got that second goal, that kind of took the wind out of our sails. And we just never were able to put one in the net.”

Belza headed in the clinching goal with 9:49 left.

Ryle made it to the title match for the second time in school history. The Raiders fell to Bowling Green in the 2006 finals.

HALFTIME: 1-0. GOALS: SX--Metzger, Henley, Belza. SHUTOUT: James. RECORDS: St. Xavier 27-1-1, Ryle 23-3-3.