[Baltimore Sun] River Hill boys soccer beats Mt. Hebron for 3A state title in shootout
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River Hill boys soccer coach Matt Shagogue had his players come in early ahead of Thursday’s Class 3A state championship game against No. 8 seed Mt. Hebron.
Shagogue showed a video from Hawks alumni sending the team well wishes, including messages from several players on the program’s last state title team in 2014.
Ten years later, No. 3 seed River Hill had its championship fate decided in the most dramatic way possible: penalty kicks.
It wasn’t unfamiliar territory for either side as the Hawks defeated Sherwood in penalty kicks in the state quarterfinals, while three of the Vikings’ five playoff victories prior to the state title game came in shootouts.
River Hill connected on its first four opportunities, but Mt. Hebron’s fourth shot rattled off the post and out. That brought junior Logan Aranda to the line with the game on his foot. He rocketed a left-footed shot into the back of the net, the crown jewel of a perfect penalty shootout, clinching River Hill’s triumphant win and the program’s 10th state title.
“I’m truly happy for the kids,” Shagogue said holding back tears. “They’ve worked so hard. Four years with many of these guys. So much support there. So many students there. You have people throughout the day, who I don’t even think I’ve spoken to one time, I didn’t even know they knew who I was in school saying, ‘Good luck coach, we’ll be there.’” … This is everybody’s goal and it’s something they’ll never forget the rest of their lives and that’s what I wanted for them.”
The state championship marked the final game in a Hawks uniform for the program’s 13 seniors. Many of those seniors, including goalie Zach Glass, midfielders Mohammad Emira and Charlie Gerber and forward Allen Ying were multi-year starters. The group went as far as the state quarterfinals last season.
However, this year’s group put it all together at the right time. The Hawks (14-3) began the season with eight straight wins. That was followed by three straight losses, yet they never were discouraged. River Hill leaned on its belief and connection as the seniors closed out their careers in dream fashion.
“It feels amazing for the last game to be the state final,” Glass said. “Some of these guys, they’re done with soccer forever. So, to be able to end on a good note for them and our other teammates, it feels amazing.”
The two teams played in the regular season, a 4-0 Hawks win on Sept. 19. However, this Mt. Hebron team was a drastically different group than that one. After finishing the regular season 5-7, the Vikings won five straight games to reach the state final. Mt. Hebron defeated top-seed North Hagerstown in the quarterfinals and took down 2023 3A state champion South River in the semifinals.
“I just told the kids how proud I was of them before and after the game,” Mt. Hebron coach Mike Linsenmeyer said. “I told them what they had to do in the middle of the season. I wasn’t angry with them; I was just honest. It was a collective effort. We had great senior leadership and we pulled up some junior varsity kids who were amazing. All the guys on the bench, there was so much energy. I think energy from the bench fueled the team through this playoff run.”
Mt. Hebron (10-8) dictated possession for much of the first 20 minutes. The Vikings nearly took the lead in the 34th minute, but Parker Smith’s shot rattled off the post and out. River Hill generated its best chances of the half shortly after, but Mt. Hebron goalie Jonathan Sanchez was there to keep the game scoreless.
The second half was similarly defensive-oriented as neither side generated consistent scoring chances, sending the game to extra time. Sanchez once again stepped up big for the Vikings with two saves in the first minute of overtime. Those proved to be the best opportunities for either team as both capacity crowds anxiously awaited the penalty shootout. Working diligently on penalties throughout the playoff run, River Hill made its moment count.
Shagogue sprinted toward the Hawks’ supporters and tossed his hat in euphoria met to a rousing “Shagogue, Shagogue, Shagogue.” Handed the state championship trophy, Shagogue bent low to the ground, flanked by his entire team.
He hoisted the trophy high in the air, the beginning of a joyous celebration that featured smiling faces, singing, loud music and a locker room Facetime with members of the 2014 team, creating memories that will last a lifetime.
“It was just amazing,” Ying said. “We knew ever since sophomore year that it was going to be a process. We came into that season knowing that we didn’t have the best team, but in two years time we would be fighting for the state final. At the start of the season, we told ourselves we had one goal: to win the state championship. To actually achieve it, it just feels unreal.”
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