SUMNER — A season interrupted by tragedy became a season of ultimate triumph for the Archbishop Murphy boys soccer team on Saturday night as the Wildcats defeated Fife 3-0 for the Class 2A state championship at Sunset Chev Stadium.
Senior midfielder Gabe Astone scored two goals and assisted on the third, and sophomore Ryan Henderson was flawless in goal for Archbishop Murphy, which claimed the first 2A state boys soccer title in school history and the third overall, following 1A crowns in 1998 and 2004.
The championship came three weeks after Kristi Bartz, a standout Archbishop Murphy girls soccer player and track athlete, was struck and killed by a train while on a weekend outing.
Saturday’s victory was for “the Murphy family, the Bartz family, everybody,” said Wildcats coach Mike Bartley. “The Murphy family is a little community, but they’re very close and very proud, and I’m glad we could bring this home for the school.”
In the aftermath of the tragedy, “we basically put it on our shoulders. We said, ‘We can do this for the school, we can help everybody get through that.’ And I think (the players) embraced that.”
Archbishop Murphy started quickly against Fife with a goal in the game’s first minute. Sophomore midfielder Jensen Crisler was taken down as he made an attacking move toward the goal, and the foul resulted in a penalty kick. Astone deftly buried the try in the right corner of the net.
On penalty shots, Astone said, “I usually go to the left, but I thought maybe they’d know that, so I just easily shot it into the right corner.”
Some 15 minutes later the Wildcats scored again. Astone brought the ball in from the left, eluded two defenders as he moved to the end line, and then slipped a short pass to Matt Williams nearby. Barely was the ball on Williams’ foot before he pushed it past Fife goalkeeper Julian Tafola. It was, Astone said, “a good goal.”
The Wildcats needed just a few more minutes to notch their third goal. Astone, who was left of the goal, took a long crossing pass from Crisler and sent a blast past Tafola, tucking the shot just beneath the crossbar.
“(Crisler) worked really hard to get that in the box,” Astone said. “I touched it with my right (foot) and then went to my left and just hit it as hard as I could.”
Astone’s outburst “is what Gabe’s capable of,” Bartley said. “He’s capable of brilliance and he came through. And this was a great stage for him to show his stuff.”
Getting off to a good start “is what we talked about before we got down here,” he added. “We figured if we could attack early and put the ball away early, we could take control of the game. And that’s what happened.”
“Normally we’re more of a second half team,” said senior forward Kenny Ficklin. “But today we said, ‘All right, boys, let’s get it done early. Let’s come out strong.’”
The Wildcats tried to add to their total in the second half, but without success. It mattered little, though, as their defense repeatedly turned back the Trojans.
For the quartet of seniors on the Archbishop Murphy roster, this was their fourth trip to the state playoffs in as many years, but their first time in the championship game. The Wildcats lost in the state semis three years ago and were knocked out in earlier rounds the past two seasons.
“I see all this (celebration),” Astone said, “and I’m like, ‘Oh, man, I’ve been waiting for this for four years and it’s finally happening.’ … But it doesn’t feel real.”
“I just can’t believe this is happening right now,” Ficklin agreed. Before the season “we wrote down our goals and the No. 1 goal was ‘Win state.’ … We accomplished every goal we wanted to this year.”
At Sunset Chev Stadium
Goals: Archbishop Murphy—Gabe Astone 2, Matt Williams. Goalkeepers: Archbishop Murphy—Ryan Henderson. Fife—Julian Tafola. Records: Archbishop Murphy 21-1-1. Fife 18-3.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
