Scouting Report: Lexington vs. Ontario again for Division II boys soccer district title

For the sixth time in the last eight years, Lexington and Ontario will meet in the Division II boys soccer district championship game.

And for the sixth time in eight years, it should be another instant classic.

It will be the third consecutive season the two Richland County schools meet to determine which will represent the district in the regional tournament next week, and it shapes up to be one heck of a battle. Before we head to the pitch, let's take a deeper look at the matchup with some interesting stats behind the rivalry, some keys for each team's success and some standout players who will have a major impact Thursday night.

Here is the scouting report.

The Matchup

No. 1 Lexington (14-4-1) vs No. 2 Ontario (12-7-1), 6 p.m. at Clear Fork High School

It would be hard to find two boys soccer teams in Richland County with more recent tournament success than these two programs.

Lexington has won the last four Division II district championships and has 14 titles since 1996, with nine of those coming since 2009. The Minutemen have reached the district tournament every year since 2008 and 26 times since 1988. So the tradition is there but the Minutemen didn't get there by simply relying on their reputation to get them to where they are. Last season, they went on to win the regional championship for the second time in the last three years after also winning it in 2019 and finishing as the runner-up in 2020. They have yet to play in a state championship game.

The Warriors do not have as deep of a storied history, but they do have recent success on which to hang their hats. They have won sectional championships in each of the last six seasons and seven in the last eight. Their 2015 sectional championship was their first since 2006 and really helped the Warriors program take off. They won the 2017 district championship, the only title in program history, in an absolute thriller in overtime over Lexington at Arlin Field.

The Warriors and Minutemen are an annual regular-season matchup and are becoming a tournament tradition. Since 2004, Lexington and Ontario have met in the regular season with Lex owning the rivalry with a 15-2-2 advantage, including a 3-1 victory over the Warriors in game one this season. Last year, Lex and Ontario tied 0-0 in the regular season before the Minutemen picked up a 6-3 win in the district championship match in which the Warriors went down a player with a red card and leading scorer Gage Weaver left with an injury.

In tournament action, Lex leads the series 4-1. Ontario's lone win came in 2017 when the Warriors avenged a 2-1 loss in the regular season with a 2-1 overtime victory that netted the Warriors their first district championship.

Since 2004, the Minutemen have outscored the Warriors 94-23, including a 14-7 advantage in tournament play.

But none of those numbers mean anything Thursday night. Throw the records and the scoring advantages out the window. This is for all the marbles.

The Minutemen come in having outscored opponents this season a combined 87-19 with eight shutouts, and a 27-1 scoring advantage in the tournament. They tied for second in the Ohio Cardinal Conference with Ashland behind league champion Wooster.

Ontario won the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference in a convincing fashion, outscoring league opponents 44-2. The Warriors owned a 99-34 scoring advantage over their 2022 opponents, including 25-3 in the tournament.

Keys for Lexington

The Minutemen have to control the tempo of this game, and it can be at whatever speed they want it to be. If they want to get into a footrace and see who can outscore who, they can be very successful with their offensive abilities and strong defense behind them. Their MO all year has been to possess the ball, be patient, connect multiple passes and find the easiest way to the goal, and everyone should expect that to be the case again on Thursday. Soccer can be a simple game if the majority of the action is on your offensive side of the pitch, and that is how Lexington got to where it is in its program. That didn't happen by accident. So expect the Minutemen to come out and control the pace and keep the ball on the side of the pitch where good things tend to happen.

Keys for Ontario

The Warriors need to come out and score first and grab the momentum right away. Not that that always works. Last year, the Warriors scored in the first minute of the district championship game against Lex and ended up falling 6-3, but the tone still needs to be set right out of the gate. Ontario's defense is much improved since last year and a score first could allow the Warriors to park the bus and get away with a low-scoring result. They don't want to get in a barnburner with the Minutemen like last year when the game featured nine goals, so getting one quickly, grabbing momentum and playing defense will be the recipe for the Warriors.

Key Players to Watch

Alex Depperschmidt, Lexington

Arguably the most skilled player on the pitch in any given match, Depperschmidt is the playmaker and the engine for Lex with 23 goals and 22 assists. He is so good with the ball at his feet and extremely patient as plays develop. And he keeps you guessing about what he will do next. He loves to break defenders down and put opposing teams at a disadvantage with numbers. And he is more than willing to pass to a teammate with a better shot than take a contested one. He had one of the best district championship performances in Lex history last year when he netted a hat trick to help his team win its fourth straight title.

Gage Weaver, Ontario

Arguably the best scorer in Richland County this season, Weaver has proven himself more than capable to finish opportunities at a high success rate with 37 goals this season. But what stands out this year are his 13 assists, which is a career-high in a season for the All-American. He has 76 goals in his career, but none will be bigger than if he can knock a few in Thursday and lead the Warriors to a district championship. Who knows? If the Warriors get ahead by a couple of goals, Weaver could return to his roots as a goalkeeper if need be.

Luke Roberts, Lexington

This match will feature two of the best midfielders in Richland County, and the first up is Luke Roberts, who seems to have his foot in on everything during important matches. He isn't one to go out and score a bunch of goals — he only has five for the season — but his impact is felt all over the field. He is secure with the ball at his feet and is pretty much the offensive catalyst. He has five assists, but if it were like hockey and the player who passed it to the player who passed it to the player who scored gets an assist, too, then Roberts would likely have a lot more. His ability to start the offensive attack with smart passes is one of the many reasons why Lex is such a great offensive team.

James Stewart, Ontario

The midfielder on the opposite side will be James Stewart, who is a little bit more involved in the offensive attack than is Roberts, statistically speaking. Stewart has 11 goals and 21 assists for the year, so he is the player who makes the extra pass to open teammates. It would be hard for Gage Weaver to do what he does in the scoring column without Stewart, who is such a smart player and rarely makes mistakes when opportunities arise. He did suffer an injury in an overtime win over Norwalk that took him out of the game for the night, but knowing his toughness it will be hard to keep him from making an impact Thursday.

Terrance Corbin, Lexington

Like at the midfield position, the match will feature two of the best defensive players in Richland County. Junior Terrance Corbin has been the defensive leader for Lexington all year and helped the Minutemen post eight shutouts and six one-goal games. He is instinctive and smart and when the ball is at his feet, and he isn't one to just sweep it out of play. He likes to try to make things happen on the counter and find teammates who can make things happen offensively. He is a dangerous weapon because even as a defender he is an offensive threat. He can start something early in the attack.

Carter Weaver, Ontario

Weaver is similar to Corbin in terms of being a versatile defender who can start things offensively as well as prevent goals. Weaver has very good size and is strong enough to battle inside when things get crazy at the front of the net. He can defend with his physicality as well as his soccer IQ, which makes him one of the best defensive players around. He also has a great ability to make an impact on corner kicks. He has five goals and four assists as he likes to use his size to get his head on a corner and pop in some dramatic goals. He will be huge for the Warriors' success Thursday.

jfurr@gannett.com

740-244-9934

Twitter: @JakeFurr11

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Scouting Report: Lexington takes on Ontario in District championship