62nd boys soccer final: Grieving Comets hang close, but Raiders win 7th straight
Oct. 7—WEST LIBERTY — The 62nd District Tournament boys soccer championship game Thursday night began with an occurrence out of the ordinary — a shared pregame prayer in honor and memory of the West Carter students lost in an automobile accident two nights earlier.
"Nothing but respect for (Comets) coach (Nate) Shelton, the West Carter players and the program," East Carter coach Quinn Huddle said. "Sharing the field for pregame prayer led by Amos Witter was the least we can do as they continue to have some tough days ahead of them. We made it clear that we are here to support them any way we can."
The match ended with a familiar feel, however — an East Carter victory to collect a crown.
The Raiders topped the Comets, 2-0, at Herdman Field at Morgan County to win the district tournament championship for the seventh consecutive season.
"The expectation in our program is to play and compete at the highest standard possible," Huddle said. "We don't take anything for granted. We try to enjoy every season and postseason. We know how tough they can be on the players sometimes."
Ashton Tiller and Blaine Brammell scored goals for East Carter (12-5-2).
In the wake of the accident that killed West Carter High School seniors Brent King and Garrett Belcher, Shelton first had to confirm if the Comets would go forward in the game, which was originally scheduled for Wednesday before being postponed.
"After finding out about our community's unfortunate situation, I first wanted to make sure my kids were OK," Shelton said. "They're people first, after all. I called my senior captains in to have a meeting and discuss our willingness to even compete. They unanimously decided that the tenacity of those two young men would have wanted them to continue on and compete."
So they did — in the process hanging much closer to the Raiders than anyone in the district had all season.
East Carter had won all three prior district outings — two versus the Comets and one against Greenup County — by 6-0 decisions.
"The heart of our boys, as well as their willingness to play for more than just themselves, really showed how strong they are as individuals," Shelton said. "Emotions ran rampant this evening, but they were able to maintain composure enough to put up a respectable game with many opportunities for ourselves to compete. "
Shelton credited West Carter seniors Jake Branham, Harley Richards, Travis Jones and Galvin Sparks in that effort.
Tiller, Brammell and Witter helped the Raiders find some juice in that setting, Huddle said.
"They had great work rate and really picked us up when the game got flat," Huddle said of that trio.
The Raiders are picking it up at the right time. They're 5-0-2 since dropping five games in a span of seven in midseason.
"I think we are playing better at the moment," Huddle said. "Our boys are finding their roles and responsibilities and we are growing each game. Tonight wasn't our best performance. But I felt like it was a mature performance in some ways, and we will learn from it and get ready for next week."
The Comets (4-12-1) gained passage to Thursday's game with a 3-2 victory over Greenup County in the district tournament semifinals on Tuesday.
Both teams will play in the 16th Region Tournament next week in Lloyd, with the draw meeting scheduled for today. West Carter qualified for the region tournament for the first time in three years.
"We appreciate the outpouring of support we have felt these past couple of days," Shelton said, "including the moment of silence and student-led prayer, initiated by East Carter, prior to our game.
"We ask that everyone continues to pray for the families and friends of those boys," he added, "and know that we feel all of them."
East Carter won its 13th consecutive match in the series. West Carter last beat the Raiders in 2017.
