Sidelines: Fall sports review

Perrysburg girls soccer outscored opponents 108-5 en route to state championship finish

The Perrysburg Yellow Jackets posted a 23-0-0 record to become the first girls program from northwest Ohio to win a state title.

The Perrysburg girls soccer team achieved an unprecedented feat this season with nothing less than perfection.

The Yellow Jackets posted a 23-0-0 record to become the first girls program from northwest Ohio to win a state title.

Perrysburg, which outscored its opponents 108-5, was ranked No. 1 all season and scored an average of 4.7 goals per game.

The Yellow Jackets capped the historic season by holding off Mason 1-0 in the title game Nov. 2 at Columbus Crew Stadium.

Perrysburg was led by talented forward Maddy Williams, a senior who finished the season with an astounding 48 goals and scored in every game but one.

Williams, who has signed ot play at Purdue University, scored the only goal in the title game.

Senior goalkeeper Chloe Buehler was spectacular in the final, making several diving and leaping stops to finish with nine saves.

“I had to come up big a few times and we're state champs,” Buehler said. “There is no better feeling.”

Six of the 22 players were seniors. Co-head coaches Jorge Diaz and Margaret Bernard were able to keep the Jackets on an even keel as they never slipped up.

Buehler, who will play at Penn State, fought through a back injury to get back in the lineup for the last half of the season.

The team's second- and third-leading scorers were Lucy Walton (13 goals and eight assists) and Allex Brown (13 goals, six assists). Senior Mollie Whitacre, who will play at Ohio University, was stellar both offensively and defensively (five goals and seven assists).

In the Division II tournament, St. Ursula won a regional championship for the second straight season.

The Arrows advanced to the state semifinals but they lost 1-0 to Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit.

St. Ursula (13-6-3) is the only program from northwest Ohio that has reached the state final four on multiple occasions. It was the third trip to the state semis as it also qualified in 2004.

Coach Chris Black lost 13 lette rwinners from last year's team and started 10 freshmen.

Senior Megan Rafac, who will play at Michigan State, was the top midfielder. Freshman Jordyn Greer led the Arrows' offense with 13 goals and four assists. Greer also scored four of the team's nine goals in the postseason.

Junior goalie Sydney Yeager finished with eight shutouts, including four in the postseason.

Boys: Southview falls in final; Ottawa Hills in semifinals

Led by 18 seniors, Southview also made an unprecedented march to the Division I state boys title game.

Coach Chad Cody led the team to the deepest run in the program's history but the Cougars (17-4-2) fell 2-0 to Powell Olentangy Liberty in the championship game.

In the state semifinals, senior forward Jared Yoshino scored the game-winner in double overtime as Southview knocked off Aurora 1-0. Yoshino scored on a throw in from midfielder Jared Lyle with 3:07 left in the second OT.

Daniel Blackmar, who was hurt late in the season, was the team’s leading scorer. Blackmar finished with 27 goals and six assists.

Southview was unranked and lost three of its last five regular-season games before reeling off six straight postseason wins — most without Blackmar.

Senior goalie Eric Breeden, who started in goal for the third straight season, had 44 saves.

The Cougars outscored their opponents 67-33. Chris Ellis (eight goals and five assists) and Yoshino (seven goals and four assists) were the second and third leading scorers. Lyle had 17 assists.

In Division III, Ottawa Hills also made a run to the state final four.

The Green Bears (17-3-2) were edged out by Gates Mills Hawken 2-1 in double overtime in the state semifinal.

It was the third time in five years that the program reached the state tournament. Ottawa Hills won the boys title in 2008.

This year's team was led by first-year coach Robert Gabriel III.

Brandon Zakeri, the team's leading scorer, tied the state semifinal at 1 on an assist from Blake Pappas. But Gates Mills ended OH's season with just 29.2 seconds left in the second OT.

Zakeri scored 21 goals and had eight assists for 50 points.

The Green Bears won 15 of their last 17 matches, including 11 straight at one point. Senior goalie Michael Geiger, who was a four-year starter, made 164 saves. Geiger also is a standout kicker for the football team and has committed to play at Boston College.

Blake Pappas scored 15 goals and had nine assists for the Green Bears, who outscored foes 69-20.