By: Marc Hardin (Cincinnati.com)
(Photo: The Community Recorder/James Weber)
Yet another wild postseason ride for the Covington Catholic soccer team has put the Colonels in a recently new yet familiar place – the state soccer tournament.
Boys' first-round action begins Monday at 7 p.m. at eight sites. CovCath (20-2-2) plays 10th Region champion Montgomery County (19-2-1) in Mount Sterling. It's a rematch. The Colonels won, 4-0, Sept. 12 at Montgomery County.
The Indians have won 11 straight since the loss to CovCath. The Colonels have one loss in their past 17 matches. They are 18-0 against Kentucky teams. Both losses this season came against Ohio powers (Elder and Summit Country Day).
Monday's winner advances to play either South Oldham, ranked fourth statewide at MaherRankings.com, or second-ranked Louisville Trinity in Saturday's state quarterfinals. The semifinals are Nov. 4. The final is 5 p.m. Nov. 7.
CovCath is the lone local boys' squad heading to the state tournament. The Colonels are ranked fifth statewide. Montgomery County is 13th.
"We are very happy to be going to the state tournament, that's for sure," said Colonels coach Jeremy Robertson, who worked out his team for an hour Sunday afternoon. "We have to make a quick turn-around, now. We're heading to Montgomery County right after school Monday."
The girls' state tournament begins Tuesday at various sites. Eighth Region champion Simon Kenton, Ninth Region champion Notre Dame Academy and 10th Region champ Bishop Brossart have advanced. Notre Dame plays at Brossart Tuesday at 7 p.m. Simon Kenton hosts Louisville Sacred Heart, also at 7. Winners advance to Saturday's quarterfinals. The semifinals are Nov. 5. The final is 7 p.m. Nov. 7.
CovCath's 1-0 penalty-kick shootout win Saturday against stubborn Ryle at Dixie Heights gave the Colonels their first regional championship in six years and the first since joining the Ninth Region in 2012. It's their 17th regional title. The win denied Raiders coach Stephen Collins his fifth regional crown. It would have been Ryle's first since 2011.
Six different schools have won the boys' Ninth Region tournament championship since Scott won the first of back-to-back titles in 2009.
Prior to Saturday, CovCath had lost its past two regional elimination matches via shootout, falling in last year's final and the 2013 semifinals. The Colonels lost a first-round shootout in the 2010 10th Region semifinals. From 2000-14, eight of their 15 seasons were ended by shootout or in overtime.
Not this time.
Junior midfielder Cole Stava and senior goalkeeper Sam Romes were Saturday's sudden-death heroes. Romes, the tournament MVP, blanked Ryle for 90 minutes then stopped one shot during the shootout. It was just enough. Stava, the final shooter, hit the clinching score, the Colonels' fifth penalty-kick conversion.
"I didn't watch it," Robertson said. "But I knew he hit it when our guys went crazy."
It was CovCath's second win of the tournament via shootout. Romes stopped Highlands, 2-1 in the opener. Senior defender Ben Darpel and senior midfielders Bryce Day and Michael Wessels were named all-tournament.
"Sam came up huge for us this week," Robertson said. "I thought our entire defense played great the whole tournament."
It's Robertson's first regional title as coach at CovCath. He became a rare regional winner at two schools. Robertson won a pair of 10th Region crowns at Highlands.
This is the Colonels' first regional championship since 2009, when they beat Robertson's Highlands squad, 1-0 in the 10th Region final at Newport Stadium, under the direction of coach Al Hertsenberg.
The local contingent will attempt to better the state finishes of last year when Scott lost in the boys' final and Notre Dame fell in the semis.