COLLINSVILLE – It was surely heading for overtime.
However, when you mix high school sports and playoffs into one, then the results are almost always glorious and heart-breaking.
The Edwardsville Tigers and Collinsville Kahoks both obtained goals in the second half, and with time winding down in the final minute it looked like they were heading to extra time.
Until with under ten seconds to play, Zane Baker received a long over-the-top through-ball from Trey Przybysz that just got over Edwardsville defenders Aston Kaufman and Seth Goodman. Baker collected the bouncing ball, and poked it far post past Tigers goalie Andrew Wike and then Goodman, who attempted to clear the ball off the line, but it wound up in the other corner of the net.
Baker sent the Kahoks and their hometown crowd into jubilation as they abruptly ended Edwardsville’s season by a 2-1 come from behind victory in the IHSA Class 3A Collinsville Sectional Semifinals on Tuesday night.
The Tigers previously beat the Kahoks 3-1 in the regular season, but the for the third year in a row Collinsville would exact revenge in the playoffs.
“Three years in a row [Edwardsville have] beat us. They’ve took it to us,” Zane Baker said. “Every [year] our season turned around from there. We knew what we had to work on. Coming out here and putting it all together and beating them meant a lot for me and the whole team.”
As for the goal, it took Baker a couple of moments to realize when he scored and how much time was left in the game.
“If I had to guess after I shot I would say 40 seconds or something like that,” Baker said. “That’s probably not a good thing. I’m supposed to know how much time, but I got caught up in the game.”
Edwardsville ended their season at 11-3-2 and lost their first game in nearly two months while also conceding twice for the first time in 11 matches.
“We had chances to score, so did Collinsville. It was a contrast in play. They’re driving long balls, which is fine that’s part of the game,” Edwardsville head coach Mark Heiderscheid said. “All it takes in the last second is crunch the ball forward. It was a 40-50 bomb that goes forward, and they happen to knock it in. That’s soccer.”
“Collinsville’s had a really good season. We knew it was going to be a tough opponent,” Heiderscheid said. “It’s going to be tough since it’s here, but I think we did a lot of good things out here.”
After a scoreless first half, the Tigers came out with an attacking intent and possessed the ball well. Their patience paid quickly in the 44th minute when Cooper Nolan was tripped inside the 18-yard box winning a penalty kick. After a long delay, AJ Sullivan hit a low shot into the right corner of the net sending Tate Wyatt the wong to give Edwardsville a 1-0 lead.
The Tigers kept at it with numerous good chances.
Bryce Glisson got away from a defender with a step-over and was in on goal, but his shot was in Wyatt’s face, and he palmed it away. A little later, Bryce Broshow came in from midfield, got around a couple of defenders, earned a clear shot at goal, but his attempt had too power and went over the bar.
“We got a lead. We had a chance where I thought for sure [Bryce] Broshow finishes it, and it’s going to be two. It just happened to go wide. We had another where [Glisson] was going to get it. Wyatt makes a great tip-save. Anyone of which could’ve at that point iced the game.
The Kahoks earned a free kick near the corner kick flag with just over 22 minutes remaining. The ball was sent in, which Baker flicked near the far post where Donovan Scott-Gass poked it in the net to tie the game at 1-1 in the 58th minute.
Collinsville’s players were never in doubt given the halftime motivation their head coach Rob Lugge gave them.
“Our coach he’s probably one of the best at that. He can motivate us for anything,” Baker said. “We stayed positive.”
