Wickliffe vs. Badger boys soccer district final capsule
Oct. 28—Wickliffe vs. Badger
What: Division III Northeast 2 District final
When: 1 p.m., Oct. 29
Where: South Range, 11375 Columbiana-Canfield Road, Canfield (the Rominger Athletic Complex is directly across the street from the high school)
Records: Wickliffe 15-4, Badger 17-2
What's next: Winner advances to a regional semifinal Nov. 2 vs. the Northeast 1 District champion at Boardman.
What to look for: The senior-laden Blue Devils' side has largely been playing together since rec soccer as kids, and they're not quite ready for this journey to end yet. ... Wickliffe is going for its first boys soccer regional berth since its magical 2006 Division III state final run. ... With the exception of a couple late-season hiccups against fellow News-Herald coverage area sides Beachwood and Andrews Osborne, the Blue Devils have been playing pretty well, 13-2 since Sept. 1. ... The keys to the attack are handed to returning All-Ohio midfielder Colin Casey (25 goals, 20 assists in 2022) to facilitate for himself and teammates. With his match awareness and 1v1 skill, those keys are in good hands. ... Shane Williams (18-4) provides pace on the flanks, and Noah Telisman (10-9) has a knack for being in the middle of big sequences this time of year. ... With a plus-74 differential for the year, it's hard to gauge Badger. But 1-0 losses to Boardman and Ursuline suggest it's a capable side. ... What got Wickliffe in some trouble down the stretch was poor starts in generating from the outset of matches. Getting a couple decent looks on frame in the first five minutes would serve this side well.
