How this unlikely hero lifted Chatham Glenwood boys soccer to sectional glory
CHATHAM — Maddox Gerger wouldn’t exactly describe himself as a consummate header around the net.
He just happened to be one at the most pivotal point of the season.
The Chatham Glenwood senior netted the go-ahead goal by heading Grant Tretter's pass with 8 minutes, 26 seconds remaining in double overtime en route to a 2-1 victory over Rochester in the Class 2A sectional final at the Glenwood Athletic Complex on Friday.
Glenwood coach Kyle Franke said they’ll take it.
“He was good at it tonight,” Franke said.
More:How resurgent Rochester and Glenwood set up an all-CS8 sectional soccer championship
Seniors answer the challenge
The Titans (18-3-2) rallied from a 1-0 halftime deficit to avenge last year’s 2-1 regional final loss to the Rockets and advance to the Rochester Supersectional on 6 p.m. Tuesday against Troy Triad, which dispatched Bethalto Civic Memorial 4-0.
The Knights (22-3) earned second place in last year’s state finals.
Junior Christian Ray rebounded Brayden Paul's blocked shot to even the match 1-1 with 37:04 left in regulation.
Rochester goal keeper Aidan Hughes preserved the tie with a spectacular diving save with under six minutes left to force overtime.
Tretter eventually floated the ball toward the box and found Gerger for the game-winning score in the second overtime.
“It's crazy, me and Maddox have been working like a dream team lately so I love it,” Tretter said.
Glenwood previously surged to a 4-1 sectional semifinal win over Champaign Central after a scoreless first half.
“It's two games in a row that we kind of were beat first half, and second half we come back and kind of control the game a little bit,” Franke said. “I have 13 seniors, so I told them at half, this is how it should be. With 13 seniors they should be able to step up. I told them, 'This is your final game on this field no matter what happens so make something of it.'”
Message received, and the Titans claimed their first sectional crown since 2017.
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“I'll just say it was a really good game going into the second overtime with them,” Gerger said of Rochester. “They've improved a lot since the beginning of the year. Just congratulations to them on this tournament run.”
Rockets show strides
Rochester (10-13-1) dropped the last meeting against Glenwood 3-0 in late September.
The Rockets seemingly defied the odds and upset Springfield High on penalty kicks, 6-5 before toppling Urbana 1-0 in the sectional semifinal.
“They came together at the right time,” Rochester coach Chad Kutscher said. “They were all fighting and battling and taking the system that we were running, and they were doing a good job with it.”
Sophomore forward Tucker Spraetz lifted Rochester ahead 1-0 late in the first half. He scored on senior teammate Darren Booth’s blocked shot attempt on the counter attack.
Booth scored in the first three postseason games.
Kutscher said they were going for the win in regulation the whole way.
“Darren's kind of the attack and we've had guys playing off of him,” Kutscher said. “Our boys bought into the system. They bought into what we were doing, so I think it was reflective of them and their work rate and their personalities and all wanting to fight for each other.”
Contact Bill Welt: (217) 788-1545, bill.welt@sj-r.com, Twitter.com/BillWelt
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: IHSA boys soccer: Glenwood rallies past Rochester in sectional final
