WICHITA – Even though he and his teammates had nothing to show for it, Maize South senior Peyton Wilson sensed the Mavericks were on point early in their Class 5A state soccer quarterfinal against Kapaun Mount Carmel.
 
"The first 10 minutes, that's the best I've seen us play in a while," Wilson said. "It just took us a little bit."
 
Wilson felt the Mavericks were a bit lackluster in last week's regional championship victory over Newton. Knowing a repeat could harm the pursuit of its ultimate goal, Maize South blended offensive persistence with stubborn defense throughout the match to defeat Kapaun 2-0 in a misty rain Tuesday.
 
Maize South (17-1-1) advanced to the state semifinals for the third time in four years with second-half goals from Wilson and sophomore Vitor Geromel. The Mavericks will face reigning 5A champion St. Thomas Aquinas (14-4-1), a 6-0 quarterfinal winner over De Soto, at 5 p.m. Friday at Wichita's Stryker Complex.
 
"I really enjoyed the consistency with which we played today," Maize South coach Rey Ramirez said after the Mavericks won their 11^th consecutive match. "Our boys stuck to the game plan and they believed in themselves. We didn't let up in the second half. They never got nervous. They were never afraid."
 
Wilson, who shared the team lead with Geromel with 25 regular-season goals, had a point-blank opportunity a minute into the match, but Kapaun goalkeeper Branden Lummus snagged the shot. It was the best chance for either team in a scoreless first half.
 
When his first big chance surfaced after intermission, Wilson delivered. Taking a through ball just outside the box, he moved in and fired a shot that deflected high off Lummus' foot. Wilson headed in the carom near the left post to give Maize South a 1-0 lead in the 43^rd minute.
 
"One thing that Peyton showed today was perseverance and the belief in himself," Ramirez said. "He had a chance early on, he kept after it. He had another chance later on and he kept after it. That belief in himself and that perseverance got us that first goal and opened up the game for us."
 
Geromel, who was just wide with a header midway through the second half, doubled the Mavericks' lead a few minutes later. Dribbling to his right, Geromel spun toward the goal and split Kapaun defenders Jude Tran and Abe Vargas. He then chipped a shot over Lummus and into the net to make it 2-0 in the 66^th minute.
 
"Class. That's all I can say," Wilson said of Geromel's goal. He's got great foot skill. He's not the fastest guy, but with me and him up top, he's got the foot skill and I've got the speed. It works out."
 
Ramirez was equally wowed by Geromel's goal. "I would love to say that we taught him that," he said. "I would love to say that our coaching staff develops that idea in his head, but obviously he's a special kid and he showed up on a special night."
 
Maize South's defense, anchored by senior goalkeeper Payton Simon, posted its 10^th shutout and second of the postseason. After losing to Blue Valley Southwest in the 2018 and 2019 5A title games and falling to rival Maize in last year's regional final, the Mavericks will head across town this weekend in search of their first state title.
 
"Our boys have done a great job of learning from the past," Ramirez said. "We've had many successes as of late. A lot of these senior boys were here for our last two trips to state. They remember that. They remember those feelings.
 
"They also remember last year's feeling of being knocked out at a time which we felt was too early for us, and I think that they've taken the best of all of it and reacted and responded in the correct manner."
 
MAIZE SOUTH 2, KAPAUN MOUNT CARMEL 0
 
Kapaun Mount Carmel (9-8-2)           0 0 – 0
Maize South (17-1-1)                          0 2 – 2
 
Maize South – Goals: Wilson, Geromel.
 
Valley Center 1, Bishop Carroll 0 (PKs 4-1)
 
After 110 minutes of scoreless soccer, Valley Center (13-5-1) was perfect on four penalty-kick shootout attempts and outlasted host Bishop Carroll to advance to the 5A semifinals for the first time.
 
As a steady light rain fell, senior Angel Loza, a transfer from Wichita West, powered his shot just across the goal line as Carroll goalkeeper Keagan Lewis tried to smother it, setting off the Hornets' celebration. Senior Nash Crosby, freshman Cristian Aguilar and senior Cade Martin also found the net for Valley Center in the shootout.

 
"We knew that we couldn't play a high-scoring game with them," Valley Center's third-year head coach Matt Coleman said. "Our best bet was to shut them down, see if we could counter, beat them 1-0 or go to penalties.
 
"Our goalkeeper is fantastic at penalties. That's not our normal playing style, but when you got down here, you've got to do what it takes to win."
 
Carroll (13-5-1) got a goal from senior Bergen Loveless in the shootout. But that was all that got past Valley Center goalkeeper Isaiah Stokes, as Sebastian Vizcarra and Harrison Lee missed high, setting the stage for Loza.
 
"Both teams came out and put it all on the field. It was just who wanted it more and we came out with the win," Stokes said. "Bishop Carroll is a great team and I don't want to take anything away from them, but we wanted to move on. You just do what you have to do."
 
The Hornets earned a spot in Friday's second semifinal against Blue Valley Southwest.
 
"We were under a lot of pressure all night long," Coleman said. "The conditions weren't that great, but we've got 12 seniors and they're not ready to be done yet."
 
 
St. Thomas Aquinas 6, De Soto 0
 
Ethan Young scored a hat trick and Eastern Kansas League Defender of the Year Jacob Muckerman added his fifth postseason goal as host Aquinas continued its bid for back-to-back state titles.
 
Aquinas (14-4-1) did not allow a shot on goal and registered its fourth consecutive shutout. The Saints have outscored opponents 19-0 in the postseason.
 
Young increased his season goal total to 18, while Barrett Kitts added a free kick goal and two assists, his 18^th and 19^th of the season. The Saints led 2-0 at halftime before breaking it open against De Soto, which finished 11-7-1.
 
Aquinas goalkeepers Carter Diggs and Andrew Seger combined on the shutout.
 
Blue Valley Southwest 2, St. James Academy 0
 
Anay Patel and Baha Ibrahim scored goals for Blue Valley Southwest, the East Region's top seed, as it defeated visiting St. James for the second time this season.
 
Patel scored in the first half on an assist from Colin Golec. Ibrahim put the game away with a penalty kick in the 74^th minute.
 
The Timberwolves, who improved to 15-1-3, posted their ninth consecutive shutout. Southwest last allowed a goal in a 2-1 overtime victory over Aquinas on Sept. 28.