By Kai Raymer (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
All those recess games and backyard competitions have paid off for Landon Keisker and Corbin Clay.
Kickapoo’s dynamic duo came through at crunch time Saturday afternoon, helping the Chiefs win their second straight district championship.
Keisker had the assists on both of Clay’s goals, including the game-winner in the 72nd minute, as the Chiefs beat Ozark 2-1 in the Class 4 District 5 Tournament championship game at Nixa High School.
“Since the start, we’ve had one goal: A district title,” Keisker said. “It’s incredible. Unbelievable experience.”
Added Clay: “We had those 6 a.m. practices in the summer and we knew from day one what we wanted. We came out here today and got it.”
On a throw-in, Keisker got his head on the ball and bumped it over to Clay, who put the ball through with his own header.
“When our right back got the ball, I knew it was coming to me,” Keisker said. “I knew (Clay) was somewhere on the other side. Once the ball hit my head, I knew (Clay’s) big head would be on it and it was going to be a goal.”
Keisker and Clay said their soccer bond goes back a long way.
“Ever since elementary school, we were always kicking in the backyard or recess,” Keisker said. “We’ve built a bond. When you build a bond with two good players, a lot of things can happen.”
Saturday’s district championship was the latest step for a Kickapoo team that entered this season with lofty expectations. The Chiefs have delivered up to this point – going 25-2 overall and undefeated against local competition.
“I think the boys felt that (pressure), too,” said Chiefs coach Phil Hodge. “If we didn’t finish this out with a district championship, it’s all kind of forgotten. Credit to our guys. They battled, won the conference and now a district championship. Really happy for them. It’s a fun group.”
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In the regular season meeting on Sept. 15, Kickapoo beat Ozark 2-1 at home in overtime.
Ozark was eight minutes away from pushing Kickapoo to overtime again, until Clay’s header put the Chiefs ahead for good.
“I’m a glutton for punishment, so I’ll probably watch the film right when I get home today and have a better idea on how we could’ve possibly prevented it,” said Ozark coach Zack Owens. “Definitely, hat’s off to Kickapoo there. They had a backside runner and got a couple of heads on it. As of right now, great play by them.”
The Chiefs now have the chance to avenge one of their two losses – and earn one of the biggest wins in program history in the process.
Kickapoo will play at Rockhurst (18-2-2 overall) next Saturday, Nov. 12 in the Class 4 quarterfinals.
Rockhurst, the defending Class 4 state champion, thumped Kickapoo 6-1 at home on Sept. 17. in a regular season matchup.
The Chiefs are eager for a rematch against one of the state’s elite programs.
Overall, Rockhurst has made the final four 26 times and won eight state championships in boys’ soccer.
“It’s an honor to be on the field against (Rockhurst) players and coaches,” Keisker said. “We have a powerful group coming up there. It’s going to be a fun game.”
Kickapoo drew first blood in Saturday’s district finals, scoring in the 14th minute when Keisker beat his defender and fed Clay for the goal.
Keisker’s playmaking and Clay’s finishing has been a common theme for the Chiefs this season.
Keisker has 27 goals and 28 assists, Hodge said, while Clay leads the team with 41 goals plus 15 assists.
“We’ve rode those two guys all year long,” Hodge said. “It may not always be a pretty style of play, but we’re going to try and get the ball to those guys and let them make a play.”
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Ozark tied the match late in the first half, when junior Jason Martin (35’) buried a 40-yard free kick from the left side into the far post.
“We put so much pressure on ourselves because we knew what we wanted to accomplish. To give up a setback like that, it was basically a punch in the mouth,” Keisker said. “In the locker room at halftime, we got chewed out and that got us back in the right mindset for the second half.”
Martin’s goal was a gut-punch for the Chiefs, who had controlled the match despite an abundance of fouls.
“You could sort of feel (Ozark’s) goal coming in the first half,” Hodge said. “You can only defend those restarts for so long. That ball just hung in the air and went into the far post.”
At halftime, Hodge said he tried to put a positive spin on the 1-1 score.
“We’re still tied. We’re not losing,” Hodge said. “As deflating as that was, we still weren’t losing. It gave us a chance to regroup.”
Kickapoo’s defense, anchored by centerback Zack Hamilton and goalkeeper Pryce Brown, stiffened up in the second half. The Chiefs have held opponents under two goals in 23 of 27 matches this season.
Ozark finishes 23-4 overall, good for the second-most wins in a season in program history. The Tigers went undefeated in the Central Ozark Conference and knocked off St. Louis powerhouse Chaminade 4-3 at home in the regular season.
Ozark will graduate just two seniors: goalkeeper Trevor Carlton and leading scorer Adrian Ortega. Ortega finished 33 goals and 10 assists this season, Owens said.
“We had a great season,” Owens said. “We have talent coming up the ranks, so we’re looking forward to the future. Offseason and club season will be here soon, so we’ll be out checking out the boys and making sure they’re doing well.
“Going forward, it’s exciting. We like what we have coming back.”
