CLASS 4A STATE SOCCER CAPSULES
Nov. 5-6
Hummer Sports Park, Topeka
AUGUSTA
Coach: Dusty Buell
Record: 17-2-0
Semifinal match: vs. Bishop Miege (11-8-0), 5 p.m.
Key Players: Kaden Kearney, sr., F; Payton Ball, sr., F; Connor Inlow, sr., M; Dominic Rios, sr., F; Cody Meckel, so., M; Logan Ruddle, so., M; Peyton Carselowey, so., GK.
Worth noting: Augusta in state semifinals for the first time in program history. … Orioles also won first league title in program history, sweeping the Ark Valley Chisholm Trail III League. … Only losses this season came to fellow 4-1A qualifier Wichita Trinity (8-0) and Wichita Classical (4-3 OT) with Augusta winning 14 matches in between. … Kearney has 35 goals this season, which leads the state, while Ball has 27 and Inlow 16. … Ball also has 20 assists, also tops in the state. … Carselowey has six shutouts. … Ruddle has nine goals and Rios eight and Inlow has 17 assists.
BISHOP MIEGE
Coach: Nate Huppe
Record: 11-8-0
Semifinal match: vs. Augusta (17-2-0), 5 p.m.
Key Players: William Anderson, sr.; Joseph Farrar, sr.; Victor Lopez, sr.; Matt Mohler, sr.; Ramon Rodriguez, sr.; Mauricio Salas, sr.; Tony Velez, sr.; Corbin Warner, sr.; Jake Whitmore, sr.
Worth noting: Stags have won five straight Class 4-1A state championships and have nine state titles overall in program history with three of them coming at Topeka's Hummer Sports Park. … Stags also have five runner-up finishes and one fourth and are 14-1 in state semifinals in previous 15 trips to state (7-1 in 5A, 7-0 in 4-1A). … Stags knocked off top-seeded Louisburg in regional finals and also have beaten fellow 4A semifinalists Wichita Trinity and Tonganoxie. … Lopez, Rodriguez and Whitmore have younger brothers on team with the Lopezes combining for two goals in the win over Louisburg. … Lopez was Class 4-1A Forward of the Year in 2020 and Rodriguez was the Defender of the Year. … Seven players have at least three goals scored this season. … Six of eight losses came to 5A and 6A programs in ultra-tough Eastern Kansas League, including 5A semifinalists St. Thomas Aquinas and Blue Valley Southwest, and other two came to Missouri schools. … Stags have allowed just five goals in their wins and just 25 goals all season, none in the past five games. … Miege currently on 28-game postseason winning streak.
TONGANOXIE
Coach: Mandi Dugann
Record: 12-6-1
Semifinal match: vs. Wichita Trinity Academy (14-5-0), 7 p.m.
Key Players: Lukas Parizek, sr., F; Daniel Zesati, sr., F; Gavin Shupe, so., M; Brenan Kuzmic, jr., M; Cuyler Keitzmann, sr., D; Jackson McWilliams, so., GK.
Worth noting: Trip to state semifinals is first for program since 2012 when the Chieftains finished as Class 4A state runner-up to Hayden. … Tonganoxie was undefeated in 2017 before falling in state quarterfinals, finishing that season 16-1-2. … Chieftains finished regular season with upset of No. 1 Eudora, 2-1 in overtime, and beat Cardinals 2-0 in state quarterfinals. … Playoff run also includes win over No. 2 seed Baldwin in regional finals, avenging regular-season loss to Bulldogs. … Parizek leads Chieftains with 21 goals and scored both in quarterfinal win over Eudora. … Zesati has 10 goals and 7 assists and Kuzmic leads team in assists with 14. … McWilliams has a 1.39 goals against average and 228 saves total. … Tonganoxie has allowed just four goals in last eight games. … Chieftains lost 3-0 to fellow semifinalist Miege in second game of the season.
WICHITA TRINITY ACADEMY
Coach: Casey Casamento
Record: 14-5-0
Semifinal match: vs. Tonganoxie (12-6-1), 7 p.m.
Key Players: Cole Matthews, sr., M; Cooper Matthew, fr., M; Ethan Cary, sr., CB/D; Alex Kirsten-Westgard, sr., GK; Landon Green, sr., S; Colin Green, sr., M; Matt McDaniel, sr., D; Ben Dixon, sr., D; Sam Ferguson, so., M.
Worth noting: Knights have finished as Class 4-1A state runners-up each of the past two seasons to Bishop Miege. … Trinity captured state titles in 2003 and 2010 with Casamento an assistant coach in 2010. … Kirsten-Westgard was Class 4-1A Goalkeeper of the Year in 2020 and was first-team All-State along with Cary and Landon Green. … Ferguson and freshman Caleb Tofteland also run cross country and helped lead Knights to Class 3A state championship last weekend, both earning All-State honors. … Both Green brothers have come back strong after tearing ACLs last postseason. … Three of five losses came to state semifinalists – 6A Blue Valley Northwest, 5A St. Thomas Aquinas and 4-1A Bishop Miege – while others came to 2020 6A state champion Dodge City and 5A power Bishop Carroll, both of whom fell Tuesday in state quarterfinals. … Knights beat fellow 4A qualifier Augusta 8-0 in regular-season finale. … Trinity has posted shutouts in 12 of 14 wins and have allowed just 15 goals all season.