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BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS
Sports Editor, RTC
Grant Bailey Carlos Plascencia Spencer Backus Jonas Kiser
WABASH — The Maconaquah boys soccer team buried Rochester with three goals in the first 11 minutes and then added three more in the final 11 minutes of the first half in cruising to an 8-0 win in the Class 2A, Sectional 22 final at Alumni Field Saturday.
The sectional title was the third in Maconaquah school history and their first since 2010. Maconaquah improved to 12-3-3 and got them a regional semifinal matchup at West Lafayette at 6 p.m. Wednesday.
Rochester finished 6-12-1. They were trying to win their first sectional title in Class 2A. This marked their ninth season in Class 2A after winning back-to-back Class 1A sectionals in 2015 and 2016.
Rochester coach Eric Backus gathered his seniors Spencer Backus, Carlos Plascencia, Grant Bailey, Brady Gamble, Jonas Kiser and Camdyn Furnivall for his postgame interview.
“The three pillars of Rochester soccer,” coach Backus said of Spencer Backus, Plascencia and Bailey. “A two-year stud (Kiser), a one-year stud (Gamble), a three-year stud (Furnivall). I love you boys, OK.”
Coach Backus said getting to the sectional final was the highlight of the season.
“Boys, I couldn't be more proud. Encourage these boys that are younger. Help them out. If you have advice for them, tell them. Don’t be shy. You guys are great leaders, I loved coaching you guys this year.”
Senior forward Kaden Hanson scored a hat trick for the Braves, and Luis Mendoza and Joseth Manueles also scored in the first half. Maconaquah also collected an own-goal as the lead reached 6-0 at halftime.
Hanson deflected the first goal on a rebound after Rochester goalkeeper Elliot Miller swatted down Joel Loshnowsky’s header try on one hop.
Mendoza drilled a 25-yard shot to the back of the net to make it 2-0 just 1:35 later.
Mendoza fed Hanson on the run for Maconaquah’s third goal, which deflected off Miller’s shin and went in the net.
The own-goal was an unfortunate deflection off a Manueles shot and made it 4-0. Manueles fed Hanson to make it 5-0 and trigger a running clock per the IHSAA Mercy Rule.
Hanson spun a kick from the right flank to the left post, and Manueles timed his jump at the left post perfectly and headed in the sixth Maconaquah goal.
Marvin Gamez and Loshnowsky scored in the second half.
Maconaquah held Rochester to three shots on goal.
“We definitely knew that he was someone that we need to keep an eye on,” Maconaquah coach Braxton Wilhelm said of Spencer Backus. “We told one of our players to make sure that they were staying on his back, and as soon as we saw a pass to him, we tried to jump in front of it. We wanted to do the best we could to get on him.”
Coach Backus called Maconaquah a “damn good team.”
“You can tell they’ve played some pretty high-level soccer,” coach Backus said. “They probably play year-round. Our goal was to not really change up too much from what we were doing because it’s worked. And so I told everybody to tuck in and try to force them out wide because I really thought they struggled when they got the ball out wide to play a good ball in the box, and it gave us time to react to it. So there were a couple times where we didn’t step properly, and there were a couple times where just the defense was watching when the ball got played in instead of running with their guy, so they got a couple easy cross-in goals.
“But man, this team just fought all year. We had some injuries and not a lot of subs. I’m just proud of these guys.”
Wilhelm said he has four players who play soccer year-round on travel teams, and he added that he has another “bunch” of players who play “all the time,” including summer.
Coach Backus finished his fourth season, so the seniors’ soccer career coincided with his coaching career. Now begins a new era without them.
“I really feel like if we got the kids to come out, we’re good enough coaches that we can teach them how to play soccer,” coach Backus said. “Jonas Kiser was solid back on defense. Brady Gamble … he hadn’t played since sixth grade. So that’s a tall task to ask a kid to come back and play defense on the varsity level. … I just wish we could get some of these kids that don’t play football or tennis or cross-country… because I think we can teach them how to play soccer at a high level.”
Influence on Caston’s Young
Wilhelm is the brother-in-law of Caston boys soccer coach Trey Young. While Maconaquah was busy beating Rochester, Young’s Caston team was losing to host Argos 5-0 in the Class 1A, Sectional 36 final.
Wilhelm was asked about his influence on Young, a Caston grad who did not play high school soccer and who is in his first season as Caston’s coach.
“I’ve helped him out a little bit,” Wilhelm said. “I’ve given him some pointers and stuff. I’ve given him some drills to do, but yeah, I know he’s a great basketball coach. … I told him I thought he could do it, and I definitely gave him some pointers to lead him in the right direction. … I’m very proud of him.”
