WICHITA – For the second time in five months, Washburn Rural coach Brian Hensyel found himself delivering one last message to his Junior Blues before a shootout to decide the Class 6A championship. 

Last spring, Rural’s girls outlasted Mill Valley in penalty kicks to break through for the program’s first state championship. 

Rural’s boys were in the same spot on Saturday night against Shawnee Mission East at Stryker Complex. 

“I told them we were champions, whether we won the shootout or not,” Hensyel said. “We were a great team, one of the best in Washburn Rural history. 

“I said, ‘Hey, it's either going to be a little heartbreaking or it's going to be one of the best moments of your life.' ”

The latter proved true for the Junior Blues. 

Rural goalkeeper Miles Cook stopped two shots in penalty kicks and the Junior Blues buried all four of their attempts to seal a 3-2 win over defending champion East on Saturday night at Stryker Complex.

It marked Rural’s fourth championship in program history and first since 2012. 

“It's pretty amazing,” Hensyel said. “The girls’ (title) was kind of a breakthrough. The boys obviously have been one of the best programs in the state, but it's been a while since we won one. To get a fourth championship, it puts us up there with the best programs in the state.

“To do it all in one calendar year, it's been a pretty good year.”

Rural’s latest championship didn’t come without some tense moments. 

Shawnee Mission East looked well on its way to a second straight championship, taking a 2-1 lead on Stephen Hlobik’s goal with 8:57 left. 

But junior Myles Didde notched the game-tying goal with 5:20 remaining, and Cook delivered big saves in regulation and the overtime periods to keep Rural alive and send it penalty kicks. 

“When we went down one, it didn't look good,” Hensyel said. “And just like we've done all year, we found a way to get another goal. We felt if we got to PKs, we were going to win it.”

After East’s Carter Santa and Rural’s Dylan Willingham each converted their first attempts of the shootout, Cook stuffed East’s second attempt and Brandon Hamilton scored to put Rural in front. 

Cook then saved East’s third attempt, and goals from Brody Grogan and Liam Morrison clinched it for the Junior Blues, who finished 19-1-1. 

“Honestly, you can't read (penalty kicks) too much,” Cook said. “You just have to guess a side. Turned out to be the correct side and made two big saves.”

“We just felt like if it got to the shootout, we had the right guy in the net. Really happy for Miles, because he had some ups and downs in his career, but this was a shining moment for him.”

The same was true for Didde, who got a foot on a loose ball that had been kicked around in the box for the equalizer. 

“I remember seeing three guys slide past the ball,” Didde said. “I think I took a touch then shot it. When I saw it go in the net I was so happy. I went over to the sideline and got a yellow card for stepping off the field.

“It was crazy. It was a great moment.”

“Soccer’s a strange sport,” Hensyel said. “You can have all these great moments and shots, and then sometimes the goals that go in are just weird bounces, and they fall to somebody's feet and guys make a play. Myles Didde really came on the last month and had some big moments for us.”

Rural took a 1-0 lead into halftime on the strength of a goal from junior Brodye Kocher-Munoz, who soared through the air to head in a corner kick from Hamilton with 14:50 left in the half. 

“Set pieces have always been our thing,” Hensyel said. “Brodye's one of the best kids we've had in the air. He just knows how to track a ball and he's not afraid. He'll go for anything. He pretty much dunked that one.”

Most of the second half belonged to East. 

Andrew Hastert knotted it up for the Lancers after sending in a deep shot over Cook with 33:16 left. Hlobik’s go-ahead goal came off an assist from Parker Mahurin.

“Coach Hensyel and I were talking before the game that if these two teams played 100 times, it would be 50-50,” East coach Jamie Kelly said. “Very similar with our styles, our efforts and everything, so we knew it was going to be a battle. It doesn't surprise me that it went into overtime and then PK's. It was a coin flip. 

“Their keeper came up with some huge saves to keep them in the game and then obviously made two big saves in the PKs to solidify it for their team. It was a great match just like we knew it would be.”

East’s run at another championship came after the Lancers reloaded following the graduation of 19 seniors off last year’s team. The Lancers finished 16-4-1. 

“For pretty much a brand new team to come all the way back here and to be in this game again is a testament to the boys and how hard they worked all season and everything that they've done to get into this situation,” Kelly said. “It started with last year's seniors to show the way. 

“I was super proud of the effort all the boys gave to get into this game and have a chance to win. We just couldn’t quite hang on.”

Rural’s 12-player senior class was led by Willingham, Rural’s all-time leading goal scorer with 67. He also broke the program’s single-season goal record with 37.

“Just an unbelievable player,” Hensyel said. “Even better kid. I know after the semifinal when he didn't score, he was kind of down on himself because he wants to be the guy who makes it happen for our team. But I don't think he even realizes how much attention he draws, which opens things up for other people. 

“One of the best players we've had in Washburn Rural history, but he's one of 12 amazing seniors, and it's one of the best senior classes we've ever had.”