Big Horns will face Laurel for Homecoming Oct. 9
By Jen Clancey STAFF WRITER
On Thursday, Oct. 2, the Big Horns welcomed the Park High School Rangers from Livingston to their home turf on senior night. The Rangers have been ranked in the top five teams of the Class A eastern Conference alongside the Lone Peak High School boys and girls throughout the season.
In their first match against Park on Sept. 4, the Big Horn girls tied 2-2 and the boys lost 3-1. A month later, in the second match against the Rangers, scores looked different.
A steady back and forth marked the first 20 minutes of play in the girls game. However, in a swift shot by the Rangers from the 25-yard line, which narrowly missed the crossbar of the Lone Peak goal and slid into the back of the net, the score turned 1-0. Another Rangers goal from 25 yards out put the score at 2-0, followed by a free kick and scramble in the box to take the Rangers to 3-0 in the first half.
In the second half, the Big Horn defense worked to skirt balls away from the Rangers and distribute passes to the midfield, which resulted in opportunities for senior captains Harper Morris and Maddie Wilcynski to run onto balls in front of the Rangers’ goal.
But continued pressure by the Rangers resulted in a cross to sophomore Loralai Iverson, who volleyed the ball into the back of the Big Horn goal for a 4-0 score, which would turn final.
The Big Horns still had shining moments. As eighth grader Braxtin Clark moved the ball up the left side of the field, seniors Hana Mittelstaedt, Morris and Wilcynski were prepared to make the Rangers defense nervous. Pressure resulted in corner kicks and free kicks in the Rangers’ defensive end.
After a post-game huddle with the team and catching a bit of the boys’ game, the seniors reflected on their experience playing together with Explore Big Sky.
Wilcynski and Morris noted that the four seniors continually support each other, and praised how easy it is to be around each other and work together, having grown up playing soccer with each other.
The four seniors, Wilcynski, Morris, Mittelstaedt and Poppy Towle all agreed that they’re a strong crew.
“It’s just been really cool and really special, and I feel like we have something special because we’re friends first and teammates second,” Mittelstaedt said.
As for the result of the game, Wilcynski noted that it’s not representative of what the Big Horns can do on the pitch.
“This game was just kind of a fluke. Like it was just kind of a rare lapse in our team’s judgment. So we just need to kind of get back on the grind to reset as a team and just go back to being who we actually are,” Wilcynski said.
Boys win 4-0 over Rangers
The Big Horn boys would defeat the Rangers, scoring their first goal in true senior night fashion. Off a solid strike by senior captain Brady Johnson toward the keeper, the ball freed up in the box, and senior Anshu Ramesh sent the rebound into the goal with a clean volley.
Lone Peak’s readiness to get in front of the ball served them well, again and again. In another rebounded shot by sophomore Ty Mittelstaedt, sophomore Steen Mitchell struck the loose ball to put the score at 2-0 in the first half. There the score would remain until the Big Horns took a break at halftime to recoup and continue the charge.
The top of the field became a showcase for the Big Horns’ skilled roster as sophomore Thaddeus Davis capitalized on an opportunity crafted by junior captain Sidney Morris across the penalty line. The score—now 3-0—and possession favored the Big Horns as a strong lineup of midfielders moved the ball past the Rangers.
In the last few minutes of the game, junior Teagan Miller closed out the score with a fourth goal for the Big Horns.
Head coach Tony Coppola applauded the work the boys put in to flip a frustrating previous result against Lockwood High School Lions on its head on Thursday night.
”We definitely got in our heads and we definitely beat ourselves against Lockwood and, you know, they turned that around with supporting each other and being positive,” Coppola said. “And it was just really good to see that turnaround.”
He celebrated the work of the three seniors: Johnson, Ramesh and senior captain goalkeeper Oliver McGuire.
“Brady and Oliver have been our captains all season and they’ve led by example. They bring in a really good level of positivity and energy to the team and I think that has definitely trickled down to the rest of the team,” Coppola said. He highlighted the quiet confidence and leadership of both Ramesh and McGuire, as well as Johnson’s return to play after an injury this season. Focus, Coppola said, is paramount for Big Horn success this Thursday, Oct. 9, against Laurel High School.
“Homecoming is always a lot of emotion, a lot of distractions. So it’s gonna be important that we stay focused,” Coppola said. “You know, we played Laurel, we were able to beat them earlier this season and if we do win out, we’ll definitely lock up second place in the league.”
Second place in Class A will send Lone Peak to the playoffs.
Playoff implications of final home game
On Thursday, Oct. 9, the Big Horns will host Laurel High School for Homecoming Week and as the final scheduled home game of the season. It’s a matchup for both boys and girls that can determine their spot in the Class A tournament.
As it stands, the 5-2-2 Big Horn girls are ranked third in the eastern conference, with a 4-4-0 Laurel below in fourth. A No. 3 rank and above will send the Big Horns to the playoffs, making the Locomotive-Big Horn matchup one to watch.
Similarly for the boys, the 3-3-2 Locomotives sit at fourth in the conference, and the 6-3-0 Big Horns are perched at second.
Play-in games for the tournament are scheduled for Oct. 13, and the first round kicks off on Oct. 18.
Both Lone Peak soccer squads beat Laurel High School earlier this year on Sept. 20. A homecoming crowd will cheer them on as they go head-to-head for the second time starting at 4 p.m. for the boys and 6 p.m. for the girls.
