By Kai Raymer (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Amid all the accolades, Caleb Lepant and the Ozark Tigers knew they had unfinished business.
On Monday night, they earned validation in trophy form.
Ozark exploded for three first-half goals and went on to beat Nixa 3-1 in the Class 4 District 5 Tournament championship game. The victory gives Ozark its first district championship since the 2020 season.
“Winning districts has been something we’ve been looking forward to,” Lepant said. “Freshman year, we knew this (senior) class could be special. We were looking to have an extra-special season this year, and this district championship solidifies that.
“A good record doesn’t mean anything without the hardware.”
Ozark will host undefeated, nationally ranked and two-time defending state champion Rockhurst (21-0 overall) in the Class 4 quarterfinal round on Saturday, Nov. 11.
With a win, Ozark (24-2-2 overall) would earn its first state final four berth in program history.
Ozark went 23-5 last season but lost to Kickapoo in its district championship game.
“We’ve had good records these past few years but have just fallen a little bit short,” said Ozark coach Zack Owens. “We were hungry to get (the district championship) back, because it has been a few years since we won it.”
Ozark got off to another inauspicious start in Monday’s title match, falling behind 1-0 after an early goal from Nixa’s Caeden Cloud. The Tigers, who also faced an early deficit in the district semifinals against Kickapoo, did not fret.
“In these big games, it’s going to be about who makes the first big mistake and who can capitalize on it,” Owens said. “That happened tonight. But we’re no stranger to having to persevere through an early goal an opponent might get. Luckily, we have good enough maturity from our seniors and our starters that we were able to fight through it.”
Ozark, which won 2-0 at Nixa in the regular season meeting, responded with three goals over the next 20 minutes. Lepant scored Ozark’s first and third goals; Jake Garner had the decisive go-ahead goal when he scored off Phin Scott’s corner kick in the 18th minute.
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE GAME
Ozark features what may be the best all-around offense in the area. The Tigers entered Monday averaging about four goals per match.
“Even against a good and well-coached team like Nixa, our players knew that eventually they’d find the back of the net,” Owens said. “Luckily, we did.”
Lepant’s two goals were the latest in a record-setting season for the Ozark striker. Two weeks ago, he set Ozark’s single-season goals record.
Lepant passed the old mark (33) held by 2023 Ozark grad Adrian Ortega.
“It’s fun to know that your name is in the record books,” said Lepant, who now has 39 goals on the season. “Really though, I’m just scoring the goals that come to me. It’s not something that I’m thinking about while I’m playing. It’s fun to think about after the game, but while I’m playing, it’s just natural.”
Ortega attended the match where Lepant initially set the record.
“I turned around and gave Adrian a hard time like, ‘Hey, sorry you couldn’t enjoy the record a little longer,’” Owens said. “But Ozark’s been having so much success in soccer, not just in the last few years.
“People tease me that all my players are starting to catch me on the leaderboard, from when I played many, many years ago. I hope they all pass me, because that’s going to mean success for Ozark.”
Ozark has now won eight straight matches against its Christian County rivals, a streak that dates back to the 2019 season.
“We know, coming into these games, that they’re out for us,” Lepant said of Nixa. “We kind of have a target on our back because they want to beat us that much more.”
Nixa finishes 16-9 overall. The Eagles, who graduate eight seniors, have won at least 14 games for 10 straight seasons.
