By Todd Stanford
If you haven't heard by now, rumors of Midd-West's demise have been greatly exaggerated.
The Mustangs were rumored to be on their way down after graduating eight starters from a team that advanced all the way to the state semifinals last year. But here they are, still playing on the second-to-last weekend of the season.
Midd-West (17-3-1), which won its fourth District 4 Class AA championship in the last five years, will meet District 3 power Fleetwood in Saturday's quarterfinals. Kickoff is at 1 at Northeastern York High School in Manchester.
In last year's quarterfinals, Midd-West shocked 2007 state champion Palmyra 2-1. The task will be at least as daunting this time around, as the Tigers sport a 25-1 record, with the lone loss coming to Class AAA side Cumberland Valley. Fleetwood also plays in one of the most competitive leagues (Berks County) and districts in the state.
"They're a solid team," Midd-West coach Chris Sauer said after his team's 3-1 win over Southern Lehigh in the first round Tuesday. "They're a senior-laden team that likes to possess the ball and knock it around."
The Mustangs, on the other hand, feature a large group of juniors, led by midfielders Jeremy Payne and Jeremey Troutman. Payne, who has 16 goals and 13 assists on the year, has been driven by the doomsayers who thought Midd-West would struggle this year.
"We like people talking bad about us," Payne said. "It gives us motivation."
The Tigers have had to overcome some doubts as well. The seniors -- who came in the same year as coach Keith Schlegel -- were part of a program that missed the playoffs for consecutive seasons in 2006 and '07. That was the first time a Fleetwood program missed the postseason in consecutive years since '74 and '75.
In 2008, the current crop of seniors led the team to an improved mark of 21-5, but they lost in the Berks County final and the D-3 final. They lost in the state quarters to Pottsgrove -- one round before Pottsgrove took out Midd-West.
But this year Fleetwood got back to its championship ways. Fleetwood, which had three state titles to its credit and 10 D-3 crowns entering the season, won the Berks County and D-3 championships. They romped past Coughlin 5-1 in the first round Tuesday.
The Tigers are led by Adam Berish, who has 16 goals and eight assists. Mike Ruh has added 13 goals and 11 assists, while midfielder/forward Jeff Turner -- arguably the team's best all-around player -- is a threat anywhere on the field and is headed to New Hampshire to play Division I soccer.
n Class AA girls: Lewisburg vs. St. Pius X
Playing in the state quarterfinals for the fourth time in program history and the second year in a row, the Green Dragons are looking to punch their ticket to the semifinals for the first time. Kickoff is at Mechanicsburg's Eagle View Middle School at 1 p.m.
To do so, they'll need to get past a St. Pius X team that's on a magical run. The Winged Lions (6-10-1), who compete against larger programs in the competitive Pioneer Athletic Conference 10, had just four wins entering the District 1 playoffs. But they got a bye into the final and then beat Philmont Christian 3-2 for the title. The Lions took out D-3 champ Upper Dauphin 2-0 in Tuesday's first round.
Whether St. Pius wins Saturday or not, the program's days are numbered: The school is closing after this academic year; the diocese is also closing Kennedy-Kenrick and is starting a new school called Pope John Paul High School.
But for Lewisburg (20-2-1) the future is bright. The Green Dragons are coming off their first District 4 title, and coach Jose Vega has a 38-5-2 record in his two years at the helm. Moreover, Lewisburg has enough young players that the cupboard won't be bare for the foreseeable future.
And the good news for Lewisburg supporters is that the Green Dragons appear to be peaking at the right time. After going 12-0-1 through their first 13 games, they lost twice in the final eight days of the regular season -- including a crushing 9-1 loss at the hands of arch-rival Mifflinburg.
"We started the playoffs as a different season," said senior midfielder Kalyn Fisher, who shares the team lead in goals with Emily Cole (21) and leads in assists (13). "We decided to start over again and try to come out with a bang."
The Green Dragons have been on fire since the playoffs began, outscoring their five opponents 28-3.
