Forget that “One Shining Moment” song that they play at the end of the NCAA basketball Final Four tournament every year.
The Gladwin soccer team reached the Final Four for the first time in school history this season, and there was more than one shining moment in the Flying G’s memorable run to the state semifinal round.
Gladwin finished the regular season with a record of 18-4 and went 10-0 on the way to the Northern Michigan Soccer League championship, but that was just a prelude to the main event.
The first round of the district tournament provided quite a moment, as the Flying G’s knocked off nemesis Tawas, 1-0. Keagan Hover fired in a nice feed from Ryan Wisniewski for the game’s lone goal, and keeper Mason Nash made it stick by adding another to his long list of shutouts.
“Tawas is a very good team, and they have been a thorn in our side for quite a while,” said Gladwin coach Jerry Smiley. “It was a huge relief when we were finally able to get by them. It was quite a thrill for all of us.”
Even though the luck of the draw put the two teams together in the first round, everyone knew that game was really the district final.
The Flying G’s proved that by rolling to a 7-0 victory over Standish in the second round – thanks to five goals from Wisniewski – and then holding on for a 1-0 victory over Ogemaw Heights that wasn’t as close as the final score would indicate. “It was a close game, but we controlled most of it,” said Smalley. “I don’t even know if they had a shot on our net. It was a rainy, sloppy day and we didn’t create as many opportunities as we normally do.”
Hover scored the goal in the early going, and Gladwin soccer claimed a shiny district championship title for the first time ever.
The win sent the Flying G’s to Clare’s regional, where all four teams in the field were ranked in the latest coaches’ poll.
“All four of the teams were fairly even,” Smalley said. “When you get to that level, you’re not going to run into too many bad teams.”
What you might run into is a shootout or two, and that’s exactly what Gladwin encountered.
Hover scored a goal in the first half of the semifinal with Whitehall, but the Vikings knotted it up in the second, and that’s the way it stayed through the rest of regulation and overtime.
Gladwin’s explosive forwards scored four straight times in the shootout, and Nash made enough stops to pave the way to victory.
Ludington beat Elk Rapids in the other semifinal and the final game followed a familiar script.
Hover scored with an assist from Tyler Boylen in the first half, the Orioles tied it in the second, and the whole thing came down to another shootout.
Gladwin won that one, 4-3, with Nash providing the shiniest moment.
Ludington was shooting, with one last chance to tie the score. Nash went one way and the shooter went the other, but Nash was still able to get a toe on the ball and send it harmlessly over the net.
“I told him he had a golden toe,” Smalley said. “I have no idea how he made that save.”
The sensational finish put Gladwin into the state semifinal round and sparked a rush of enthusiasm all over town.
“That was unbelievable,” Smalley said. “It was a great win for our team, but it was also a great win for our school and our community. It was awesome.”
The Flying G’s got quite a send-off from their fans when they boarded a charter bus for Cedar Springs to meet Grand Rapids South Christian in the state semifinal.
The game was even through the first 20 minutes, but the Sailors scored two quick goals in the 30th and 31st minutes to take charge.
“When you play a team of that caliber and make a mistake, they make you pay,” Smalley said. “We made two, and they scored on both of them.”
Wisniewski cut the deficit in half about 10 minutes into the second half, but that was as close as Gladwin got. South Christian put a stranglehold on the game by scoring with about 15 minutes left and then iced it with a goal against the Flying G’s substitute players in the final 10 minutes.
“They had not been scored upon in the district or regional, so that was a big goal for us,” Smalley said. “We were in the game, but we couldn’t finish off any of our chances, and they finally got a corner kick and scored, and that was about it.
“I emptied the bench so everybody would get a chance to experience playing in the semifinals.”
The Sailors went on to beat Williamston, 1-0, to win the state title.
Gladwin checked out with a final record of 23-5, the best in school history.
Speaking of history, here are some other numbers that won’t soon be forgotten:
The Flying G’s set team records for goals with 129, assists with 90, points with 219, shots on goal with 375, total shots with 601, and saves with 195. Wisniewski had 41 goals and 16 assists for 57 points. Hover scored 36 and passed out 11 helpers for 47 points. Jacob Garafalo had 20 goals and 11 assists for 31 points, and Boylen had eight goals with 16 assists for 24. Nash slammed the door on 15 shutouts.
Hover, Nash, and Garafalo are graduating, but the bar has been raised, and the future looks bright.
“We’re losing five starters, and we’re going to need some kids to step up, but we should be pretty good next year,” Smalley said. “Our seniors have exposed our younger kids to the idea that, if you want to be good, you’ve got to put in the time. If they work hard in the spring and summer like this group, there is no reason we can’t be back on top next year.”