D1 State Championship - Davidson vs. Jackson

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polar_purple

New member
At 7pm Friday, November 9th at Columbus Crew Stadium, the Davidson Wildcats (17-2-2) will face the Jackson Polar Bears (18-1-3) for the D1 State Boys Soccer Championship.

I would suspect most folks would like to focus on how Jackson got here (and understandably so), but are there any thoughts about how these two teams match up with each other? I'm not a big soccer person, so I'd be interested to hear some of your ideas, who follow the sport more closely than I do.

Two minor notes:
1. Jackson High School has never won a team state title since the school was formed in 1930. Thus, the soccer team will be hoping to break that ugly streak - with or without the "*"...lol.

2. Evan McCreary, of Jackson, received two yellow cards in the Mentor game and had to sit out last night, but should be back for the Davidson game.
 
 
Is anyone on here, from Jackson, planning on making the trip down? I'm interseted in possibly going, but would rather not make the long drive by myself. Send me a PM if interested.
 
It should be a pretty competitive game. I remembered we played in preseason and both teams were evenly matched. If i remember right Jackson was good at keeping possesion.


- The Key for Davidson once again is the play of the Big 4: Catlett, Reasoner, Ryan, and Fitzpatrick. If all 4 of them bring their A game, Watch Out.

- Davidson's role players will be huge in this game. The play of Caudill, Campbell, Hareth, and Krajewski will ultimetly decide this game. Even as sophomores Caudill and Campbell have been big and i don't expect anything less friday night.

Prediction: Davidson 2 Jackson 0


LET'S GO CATS. Our goal from day one was to win the state championship, it's now or never baby let's do this.

4 Davidson Goals this Season
[x] Win the OCC Title
[x] Win the District Title
[x] Win the Regional Title
[ ] Win the STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
 
Davidson 3-2 will be a great game but jackson might struggle with possesion and might be a little out of there game after what happened with mentor.
 
I think it's blatently unfair that Jackson has to drive all the way to Columbus and play in Davidson's backyard. ;)
 
This game tonight means a little more than just winning a state title for Davidson.

Soccer: Davidson players rally around stricken coach
Friday, November 9, 2007 3:22 AM
By Jeremy McLaughlin

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

As coach of the Hilliard Davidson boys soccer team, Terry Smith exhibits a façade of strength. Whether barking instructions, offering encouragement or giving tough love, his leadership has earned him unwavering respect from the players and community.

Away from the field, Smith isn't always so strong. He is hurting. His players know it, though Smith tries to disguise it.

Smith, 37, has prostate cancer. He was diagnosed after the 2006 season.

Cancer has not affected Smith's desire or commitment, though chemotherapy saps his energy. Soccer offers a distraction from the medical talk, and the pitch is his sanctuary.

Smith will make another trip to his refuge tonight when Davidson plays Massillon Jackson in a Division I state final in Crew Stadium. The Wildcats want the season to end with Smith hoisting the championship trophy.

"We want to do it for him," senior Colby Catlett said. "He's putting in so much time and effort, and we know how much he is struggling. He has hardly shown it, but we can tell deep down it is hurting, and he never gives up."

Winning a championship has been Davidson's goal since early August, but in some ways the title is inconsequential. Life lessons Smith has passed on will better serve his players. They are what sports are supposed to teach.

"That's been the biggest positive for me," Smith said. "Seeing that light change in some of these kids' eyes. Soccer is important and it's good and we're having fun, but it's still a game and there are a lot bigger things in life, and we don't take things for granted."

That last lesson was the first Davidson learned. Coming off a regional final appearance in 2006, Davidson's players expected success to carry over. The early effort was subpar and players were overconfident, Smith said.

After a 1-2-1 start, he made changes.

"We got everybody back on the same page," he said. "We all had the same goal, but some players were unfortunately thinking outside the box. We put our foot down and said this is the direction we're going and get on the ship or get off. Everybody jumped on the ship."

Davidson has been unstoppable since. The Wildcats are unbeaten in the past 17 games (16-0-1) and now will play in its first final.

Smith, despite physical struggles, has led them. His slogan has been to "finish it." It has two meanings -- one for Smith as he tries to overcome cancer, and the other for the team to achieve its goal of winning a title.

"I feel like we pretty much owe the season and winning this to him," senior Sean Ryan said. "All the stuff that he has had to go through and he still shows up and supports us. It's amazing."
 
Oil Filter said:
I think it's blatently unfair that Jackson has to drive all the way to Columbus and play in Davidson's backyard. ;)
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:laugh: :laugh:

Great stuff OF.. unfortunately most on here won't fully understand how funny that joke is in regards to the football forum.
 
Oil Filter said:
I think it's blatently unfair that Jackson has to drive all the way to Columbus and play in Davidson's backyard. ;)
Click to expand...
Hey, at least they're not playing on Davidson's home field. :)

Of course, considering the soccer championships only get a few thousand in attendance, Crew Stadium will look empty and they should play at Davidson's home field instead, so it will look more crowded. ;)
 
Davidson wins 2-1.

I don't know a lot of detail, the Wildcats got both goals in the first half, while Jackson scored in the 2nd.
 
Davidson completly controlled the first half and for the most part the second half. We kinda had a letdown in the second but held on for the W. This was the best expierience of my life. With everything that Coach Terry has gone through the last year, this is very well deserved for him and the rest of our program and community. Terry has been an inspiration this entire season with the motto being "FINISH" and "WE'RE NOT DONE". It was so cool this week leading up to the championship game to see the school kinda rally around those two messages. All over the school were posters and paintings on windows bearing those 2 messages. It was cool on the fence for the tennis courts (right next to the entrance to the locker room) there was a message in cups saying "WERE NOT DONE". when we got home tonight from the game we looked over to see a new message reading "WERE #1 & DONE"
 
HDvHS FAN said:
Davidson completly controlled the first half and for the most part the second half. We kinda had a letdown in the second but held on for the W.
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First off - congratulations to the Davidson Wildcats - you guys definitely deserved it tonight and this Jackson fan was thrilled with getting to watch an incredible game, even if we came out on the losing side. All specators were treated to a great show tonight. I had no idea a soccer game could be so enjoyable to watch.

But as far as the quote goes - most of the game was played on the Davidson side. Cripes, I'd guess that a good 60-70% of it was on the Davidson side. Only one problem......while a good deal of time was spent in front of the Wildcat box, your defense absolutely shut us down! And when push came to shove on the Jackson side, you obviously put two past us, so you were definitely able to capitalize better than we were. While we may have kept pushing you back to your box - you guys defended it amazingly well.

But that's neither here nor there. Davidson won and earned their first ever boys soccer state title - congratulations Wildcats!

One thing that stood out more than most: With the score tied 2-1 in the 2nd half, the ball was just off the right side of the Davidson goal with three Jackson players within five feet of it. An empty net stood in front of them, as the keeper was in no position to defend a shot from that angle and all other Davidson players were just out of reach to defend it, as well. But instead of one of them easily netting the tying shot....all three went after the ball and the kick flubbed wide right. The situation was absolutely gift wrapped for us to take, yet we couldn't convert. I just gasped in absolute disbelief that we were able to lose that incredible of a chance to tie up the game.

We had our cake (forfeit win), but apparently we couldn't eat it, too (this shot).....lol.
 
Congratulations HD! Football in 2006 and Soccer in 2007 is a great achievement for your athletic program. You guys should be proud!

Wasn't it great to play in Crew stadium!
 
Tha was really amazing. Congrats, I am so happy Davidson won. I would hate someone to beat the guys who beat up my Elder Panthers. Better to have a team win who beat your team, then to have another team beat them. =)
 
:party:

Congrats to the 2007 DI state soccer champion Hilliard Davidson Wildcats!

Here's the article the Dispatch had...

Hilliard Davidson 2, Massillon Jackson 1: Davidson follows plan to ideal end

Hilliard Davidson 2, Massillon Jackson 1
Soccer: Davidson follows plan to ideal end
Saturday, November 10, 2007 3:54 AM
By Jeremy McLaughlin

The Columbus Dispatch

Little debate ensued when Hilliard Davidson boys soccer coach Terry Smith asked his team in August to select its goals for the upcoming season.

The Wildcats decided winning a state championship was the No. 1 priority. A league title and a district championship would be nice, but Davidson, after reaching the final eight in 2006, had its eyes on the big prize.

Two weeks into the season, Davidson did not resemble a contender. It started 1-2-1. Coaches and players conversed and changes were made. Stronger players were moved to the midfield, and the team rededicated itself to winning the title.

It started an 18-game unbeaten streak that culminated last night in its first championship. Jon Reasoner and Colby Catlett scored first-half goals, and Davidson defeated Massillon Jackson 2-1 in the Division I final in Crew Stadium.

"It feels unbelievable," Davidson senior midfielder Jake Krajewski said. "All the hard work and every long practice when we've stayed extra, it all adds up to this."

Davidson (18-2-2) is the first central Ohio team to win a Division I title since Westerville North in 2003.

The win had special meaning for Smith, who has been fighting prostate cancer for several months.

"I had tears, joy, a sense of accomplishment," he said. "It's just a joyous feeling to get to this point. As I said all season, we've had one goal in mind and that was to win a state championship."

Reasoner put Davidson closer to its goal when he scored with 24 minutes remaining in the first half. Catlett shook off the Jackson defense to pass to Reasoner, who got a shot off between two defenders from 15 yards that landed inside the left post.

Catlett made it 2-0 10 minutes later. He took a pass from Cody St. Clair, shielded a Jackson defender and scored from 13 yards.

"(St. Clair) saw something that I didn't with the space behind me," Catlett said. "He found the open space, the goalie came out and I shot it right by him. It was all the setup. I was just there to put it away."

Catlett nearly made it 3-0 two minutes into the second half. He was shoved in the back in the box, but his penalty kick was stopped on a diving save by Jackson keeper Jon Brubach.

Jackson (18-2-3) took the momentum and made it 2-1 with 28 minutes remaining. Evan McCreary scored from 6 yards on an assist from Dustin Kiaski.

"2-0 is kind of the worst lead to have," Smith said. "All it takes is one goal to get back into it, and missing that (penalty kick) really changed the momentum and they were able to capitalize on it."

Davidson's defense prevented Jackson from taking any further advantage. Jackson had just three shots on goal during the game and rarely got much penetration late in the game.

"There was so much on the line tonight," Krajewski said. "As we said in the locker room, it's the seniors' last night. We needed to push it to the max and leave everything on the field, and we did."

jmclaughlin@dispatch.com
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Congrats to the Hilliard Davidson Wildcats on winning the state championship!!! All of Hilliard is very proud.

This has been a great fall season here in Hilliard, with all of the successes of both of our schools.
 
Congrats to the Wildcats and to Jackson as well.

From today's Canton Repository:

Good Luck. Jackson got a royal send-off Friday afternoon. The high school's 1,800 students lined the halls as the Polar Bears made the long walk down the steps in the commons, through the school and out the back door to their charter bus. Jackson's cheerleaders led the team out as the band played. "It was very nice," Jackson Athletics Director Terry Peterson said. "It was something they'll remember their whole lives, regardless of the (game's) outcome."

Special Win. Hilliard Davidson coach Terry Smith is battling prostate cancer. The 37-year-old, who receives weekly chemotherapy, was lifted by his team's win Friday night. "I'm overjoyed," he said. "This helps with all the things I've been going through. The kids said they were playing for me. I told them to not play for me, play for yourselves. I tried to teach them to play for themselves, to fight through things, just like I've been fighting."

Reload. Despite losing some key seniors, Jackson returns a talented nucleus next year. "Hopefully, getting this taste will make them a little hungrier next season to bring home the gold instead of the silver," Biros said.
 
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