By TODD FERTIG
TopSports.news
The Washburn Rural boys soccer team, eager to build upon its third-place finish in last year’s Class 6A state tournament, flexed its muscle Tuesday. The Junior Blues handled Shawnee Heights 6-0 at McElroy Field in the season opener for both teams.
Washburn Rural senior Dylan Willingham (19) scored a pair of goals in Tuesday's 6-0 season-opening win over Shawnee Heights. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
The Junior Blues ambushed the visiting T-Birds out of the gate, putting a goal on the board just six minutes into the season. Liam Morrison headed a free kick from fellow senior Brandon Hamilton inside the right post to get the ball rolling.
Senior Dylan Willingham gave the Junior Blues a commanding 2-0 lead with a free kick off a red-card penalty just before the intermission.
‘Everybody was excited to play our first game,” said Washburn Rural coach Brian Hensyel. “Playing a city school, a rival school, a lot of kids know each other. So, we knew it would be a high energy game early. Both teams really were playing hard.
“The first goal was a great goal for us just to kind of gain the momentum. It was a pretty even game up until the red card and the second goal.”
With the T-Birds playing short-handed for most of the night – they incurred a second red card early in the second half – Washburn Rural was able to substitute liberally and focus on fundamentals.
“We have a big senior class, a lot of guys who have experience, but we have guys coming off the bench who haven’t played a lot of varsity minutes,” Hensyel said. “So, when you get an opportunity to do that, we want to give them that extra experience.
“Once we got that advantage, we talked about just calming down and, you know, not just smashing the ball forward. ‘Can we pass it a little bit? Can we make them work?’”
Willingham led the Junior Blues with two goals in the season-opening victory. He is one of several returners who know what it takes to challenge for a state title.
Washburn Rural senior Draden Chooncharoen had a pair of assists in Tuesday's 6-0 season-opening win over Shawnee Heights. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
“We have really good leadership on this team. We have five captains and a ton of seniors,” Willingham said. “We’ve been here before and that just makes the game more smooth.”
Willingham and Hensyel both said that the team has laid the foundation to pursue a championship.
“You put in a lot of work in the summertime, so by the time you get to this point, kids are ready to play games,” Hensyel said. “Expectations here are always to be one of the teams who can compete for a state title.”
“I was nervous coming into tonight,” Willingham said. “That first goal just brought kind of a sigh of relief honestly. But I’m super excited. I know we’re good enough (to contend for a championship). Being with each other as friends, as teammates, as brothers, that’s going to really elevate us and get us past tough games, especially in the playoffs when it can get really tough.”
WASHBURN RURAL 6, SHAWNEE HEIGHTS 0
Shawnee Heights (0-1-0) 0 0 — 0
Washburn Rural (1-0-0) 2 4 — 6
Washburn Rural — Goals: Willingham 2, Morrison, Kocher-Munoz, Hamilton, Un. Assists: Chooncharoen 2, Hamilton, Didde. Shutout: Cook.
