By Kai Raymer (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
It would have been a great individual play.
Instead, Ozark senior and co-captain Caleb Lepant turned it into a great team play.
Early in the second half of a scoreless match against rival Nixa, Lepant beat a pair of Nixa defenders and set up teammate Alex Williams for a tap-in goal.
“How unselfish was that? He’s one of our captains and for good reason,” said Ozark coach Zack Owens. “He’s a leader out there. Even when he’s someone who wants the ball at his feet so much, in those big moments he’s still able to trust his teammates.”
Ozark (8-2 overall, 3-0 Central Ozark Conference) tacked on an insurance goal 10 minutes later to win 2-0 and maintain its winning ways in the rivalry series.
The Tigers have now won seven straight against Nixa, a streak that began in the 2019 season. Five of the seven victories have come by one-goal margins.
“It’s a great accomplishment because Nixa always gives us their best version,” William said. “We have really competitive matches. We know a lot of their players, we play club ball with them, so this is always a fun matchup.”
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE GAME
Unless the teams play again in districts, Ozark’s seniors will end their careers with an undefeated record (varsity) against Nixa.
“We go into these games wanting to keep that streak going,” Lepant said.
The match’s decisive play occurred in the 50th minute, when Lepant received a throw-in and went to work.
“It was a good first touch, I just kind of turned past the first defender,” Lepant said. “I’m typically pretty good on one-on-one attacks, so I knew I could take on the guy in front of me. As I touched back to my left foot, I peeked over and saw Alex was wide open.
“I knew I could’ve taken the shot, but the smarter idea was to pass it to Alex for an open shot on goal.”
Williams pounced on the easy scoring opportunity.
“I had a feeling (Caleb) might make the play,” Williams said. “I was just trying to get myself into the right position, where if he did make that play then I’d be ready.”
Ozark entered Tuesday’s match averaging over three goals per game. Only Liberty North (7-2 overall) has held Ozark under two goals in a match this season.
The Tigers, who went 23-5 last season, are seeking their first district title – and more – since 2020.
Said Lepant: “Our offense doesn’t take long to get going. The goals just come. We have so many guys who can put it in the back of the net.”
At halftime on Tuesday though, Ozark had yet to score.
“I think (Nixa’s) direct stay of play kind of dictated how the game was going to go,” Owens said. “We played into that, which worked well for (Nixa). Our game, with this team and this personnel, is not really about direct play so much.
“First half, I felt like Nixa had the better of the chances. That second 40, I felt like we were the better team and it showed in our play.”
Phin Scott made it 2-0 Tigers in the 61st minute when he drove home a long free kick. Owens estimated that Scott has converted over 50 percent of his free kicks into goals this season.
On the other side, goals didn’t seem to be in Nixa’s fate. The Eagles came up short on several close calls.
Eagles junior forward Caeden Cloud hit the post on a 1-v-1 opportunity in the 58th minute. Five minutes later, he scored on a 35-yard rocket shot, but the goal was waved off due to a handball call.
“We understand that we’re going to get the best version of any team we line up against on any given night,” Owens said. “We’ll celebrate this one for sure, enjoy it and get back to training.”
Ozark returns home to face Belton on Thursday night.
Nixa (3-5 overall, 2-2 COC) hosts undefeated Waynesville (7-0 overall) the same night.
