Westfall boys soccer shows mark of progress despite tie with Miami Trace

WILLIAMSPORT − Colton Spaniol stood at the penalty mark in front of Miami Trace's goal and steadied himself. A few cheers of encouragement rained onto the field as Westfall fans cheered the senior on before his penalty kick. There was just two minutes left in the match, and Westfall was in desperate need of a goal to prevent a shutout loss in its home opener.

Spaniol kicked the ball to his left, and it sailed past the right hip of Miami Trace's goalkeeper into the net. The Mustangs roared from the bench as fans cheered in the bleachers.

Westfall's Beau Hunt (22) tries to get the ball from Miami Trace's Pierce McCarty (32) in varsity boys soccer action at Westfall High School on Aug. 25, 2022 in Williamsport, Ohio.
Westfall's Beau Hunt (22) tries to get the ball from Miami Trace's Pierce McCarty (32) in varsity boys soccer action at Westfall High School on Aug. 25, 2022 in Williamsport, Ohio.

There wasn't enough time to follow up on Spaniol's goal and secure a win, but it was enough to prevent a loss. The Mustangs delayed the Panthers response long enough to secure a 1-1 tie at home on Thursday night.

"I saw their goalie cheating over to the left a little bit, so I was like, "Hurry up, call it, call it, call it," Spaniol said. "I just wanted to go as quick as I could before he realized he was over on the one side."

It's not a win, but the Mustangs will take it. Thursday's match indicates growth for a squad that is still coming into its own. The Mustangs were the youngest team in the Scioto Valley Conference in the last two seasons, and they won just four matches last season.

Westfall's Henry Barnes (11) kicks the ball down the field as Westfall took on Miami Trace in varsity boys soccer action at Westfall High School on Aug. 25, 2022 in Williamsport, Ohio.
Westfall's Henry Barnes (11) kicks the ball down the field as Westfall took on Miami Trace in varsity boys soccer action at Westfall High School on Aug. 25, 2022 in Williamsport, Ohio.

But the start to this season seems to warrant a growth. Before Thursday, the Mustangs had defeated Logan Elm for the first-time in program history. Now, they tied a team that blew them out 6-0 last season, and is fresh off of a 7-0 demolition of Fairfield on Tuesday.

"They've worked extremely hard," head coach Steve Gaines said. "We had the heart and we had skill, but we just didn't have the physical ability to keep up with teams. We were always a step slow. Now they've grown into their bodies, and now their bodies caught up with their skill level. Now we can play with anybody."

Westfall's Landon Powers (1) kicks the ball behind around a Miami Trace player in varsity boys soccer action at Westfall High School on Aug. 25, 2022 in Williamsport, Ohio.
Westfall's Landon Powers (1) kicks the ball behind around a Miami Trace player in varsity boys soccer action at Westfall High School on Aug. 25, 2022 in Williamsport, Ohio.

The tie with the Panthers didn't come easy. The Mustangs had to scrape for the ball at every instance. The Panthers pressed hard in the opening minutes, running circles around defenders and taking pot shots at goalkeeper Brady Mullins.

But Mullins formed the rock-solid foundation that the Mustangs built their defense upon Thursday. The junior made a pair of saves in the first two minutes of the game to stall the Panthers' attack. Aside from the lone goal scored on him by Panthers forward Sekou Mara in the 26th minute, Mullins was a brick wall between the goalposts.

It's nothing out of the ordinary. Mullins was named to the All-SVC First team last season, and he's lived up to the award early into his junior season. He's allowed two goals in two matches, and the opponents he faced belong to strong, experienced programs.

"He's a natural at it, but he also works very hard at it," Gaines said. "I'm proud of him because a lot of guys when they win awards like that stop growing, but he hasn't. He's continued to push himself to get better."

Mullins isn't the only one showing growth. Gaines has noticed his squad is coming into its own on a player-by-player basis. The Mustangs are still young, with just three seniors on the roster. But they've been molded into a well-rounded rotation that can go toe-to-toe with a pair of teams that used them as punching bags the year prior.

Gaines calls this season the "Year of the Horse." He wants 2022 to be the year that the Mustangs come into their own. They've only been through two games, but the seeds Gaines planted in his players' minds are beginning to bear fruit.

"When they were younger, we were always playing from behind, and our philosophy was always, "Listen, we're never gonna give up," Gaines said. "We're not show ponies, we're workhorses. But that's been that's been part of our framework from the very beginning. We never quit, we never give up and now that we are a team that can play with anybody, that really now is paying off for us."

This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: Westfall Mustangs boys soccer tie home opener with Miami Trace