The bleachers rumbled as the Highlanders took the field for the state quarterfinals against the Woodson Cavaliers. With their status as regional champions setting expectations high, McLean was ready to fight to the death in an attempt to keep this impressive run going.
The Highlanders started off strong, dominating from the kickoff. Just two minutes in, a throw-in by junior defender Will Saxon led to an error by the Cavaliers goalkeeper, allowing senior forward Caf Eaton to score the first goal of the game.
“It definitely was important getting that lead early in the first half,” junior forward Ada Karatepe said. “We love getting that.”
Using that momentum, the Highlanders maintained control and continued to move forward. McLean’s offense became dangerous for the Cavaliers, as they made constant threats to score.
A good ball in by junior defender Mikel Molina was grabbed by Woodson’s goalie at the last second, and a steal and breakaway by Karatepe was narrowly grabbed as well. Another steal by Saxon led to a close shot, but was just far, adding to numerous attempts at goal that only amplified McLean’s incentive.
Finally, a strong pass from Eaton to Karatepe led to a powerful kick by Karatepe that sank into the far corner of the goal to raise the score to 2-0.
A few brief substitutions were made as Karatepe brutally hit heads with a Woodson player, stepping out for a few minutes. Molina received a yellow card, but McLean kept their momentum.
“Herndon is one of the most physical teams, and we’ve played them three times with incredible, hard games,” Eaton said. “We dealt with that [with Woodson] as well, and we’re ready for anything.”
Attacks from the Highlanders led to several more aggressive shots on goal, with a myriad of balls being whipped above the bar. A bad kick from the Cavalier goalie led to a clear scoring opportunity for junior forward Joe Margita, but the goalie managed to miraculously get back and save the shot, and halftime arrived with McLean in dominant possession at 2-0.
The game was even in the beginning of the second half, with both teams battling back and forth, earning a number of shots on goal. Woodson earned a free kick after a foul on junior defender Titus Powars, but the Cavalier sailed it way over the net. Another clear goal scoring opportunity for Woodson was blocked by junior defender Liam Conley, and the teams continued to fight.
The momentum seemed to be slowing until Margita ran up the right side, shooting the ball right past Woodson’s goalkeeper, delivering McLean’s third goal, and upping the score to 3-0. The Highlander student section erupted, and fans and players alike were becoming increasingly confident.
More substitutions were made as Powars received a yellow card, with junior defender Connor Bo taking his place. Junior midfielder Arman Badipour went in for Molina for the remainder of the game.
With only 12 minutes left, Woodson made a run on the left side, getting the ball in the net with a shot reflected off the goalpost. Just four minutes later, Badipour fouled in the box, and Woodson sailed their penalty kick into the bottom right corner of the net.
“The last 20 minutes, we let up a bit, and we need to be better than that,” Eaton said. “We can’t be tired in these state semis and state finals games; that’s where we really need to show up.”
Suddenly, the momentum had turned, with Woodson controlling possession and dominating the game with only eight minutes left to catch up. Controversial calls began to interrupt the Highlanders efforts to put the game to rest, and the energy from the Cavaliers and their fans were high.
“We need to be stronger in the second half, and practice keeping up the same intensity as the first half,” Karatepe said. “We need to have more composure and just be cold-blooded in the back.”
The Highlanders persevered, their mental game strong, and Bo stopped Woodson’s momentum by kicking a ball out of bounds, allowing McLean to get back their dominance in the last few minutes of the game. A steal from Eaton was crucial, and Woodson tried a last pursuit, but failed. As the clock ran out, the game ended with a 3-2 win for McLean.
“We played really well for the first 60 minutes of the game, but the last 20 were a little sloppy,” head coach Leland Jameson said. “Every team is going to fight us hard, and we have to be ready for that.”
Coming off a regional win last week, the Highlanders were confident in their abilities against Woodson, and were prepared to earn their spot in the state semi-finals. Even with Woodson’s sudden drive in the last half, McLean was able to stay strong, and will play again in Richmond on Friday, June 7 in the state semifinals.
“This is what we’ve worked for. This is what we’re built for. All year we’ve been going towards this,” Eaton said. “I think we’re ready; we just need to mentally and physically prepare so we can be ready on the day of.”
