Fulton County Ohio Media

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The Evergreen Vikings Boys Soccer program reached new heights on Saturday afternoon and validated their status as #1 Seed by winning the OHSAA DIII District Championship, outlasting the #2 Seed Maumee Valley Country Day School (MVCDS) Hawks 5-3 at Ottawa Hills High School.  Senior forward Riley Dunbar stepped up big in the program’s biggest game in its history by scoring Evergreen’s first three goals, staking the Vikings to a 3-0 lead early in the second half.  Dunbar, a two-fall sport athlete, who also plays wide receiver and defensive back on the football team, used his 6’3” height great advantage, scoring two of his three goals on headers.  “We tried to move him into spots where he was going to be a little more dangerous.  After watching them play Ottawa Hills, it was a great game (MVCDS 2-1 win in 2OT), I knew Maumee Valley was going to be tired so, I told Riley ‘Just go at them, go at ‘em, go at ‘em’,” said Evergreen Coach Dave Scokzyn. 

However, the quick and talented Hawks battled back and stunned the Vikings with two goals in a two-minute span to cut the lead to 3-2 with over 31 minutes left in the game.  “Definitely wasn’t ideal with them coming back and scoring two goals.  The momentum wasn’t in our court,” said 2023 NWOAL Offensive Player of the Year, Tyson Woodring.  But we stayed positive out there and kept pushing away.  They were rolling there at the end of the half, but we pulled it out.”

In fact, it was Woodring himself who was fouled in the penalty area in front of the MVCDS goal and was awarded a penalty kick.  He calmly fired a shot into the back of the net, giving Evergreen back some cushion with a two-goal advantage and providing, what would prove to be, the winning score.  The Hawks, winners of the soccer strong Toledo Area Athletic Conference (TAAC), responded with intense pressure on the Viking defense.  Following a collision between Evergreen goalie Alex Mossing and a Hawk forward in front of the net, Maumee Valley was awarded a penalty kick and easily converted, making the score 4-3 with more than 26 minutes left on the clock.

The rest of the contest was fast, furious, physical and tension-filled as both teams’ offense generated multiple scoring chances without scoring.  Finally, with under a minute left in the game, Konner Sanford found an opening on the right side of the Hawk goal and knocked it in, essentially sealing the deal for the Green & Gold and sending the Vikings to the DIII Regional Semi-Finals for the first time ever.

Evergreen will now travel to Port Clinton to take on Kidron Central Christian at True-Lay Stadium on Wednesday, November 1^st, at 7:00 PM.  Note:  The stadium is not located on the grounds as the high school.

Click on the link above to access photos from the match. Photos are in the jpeg format to allow for editing and can be downloaded for NO CHARGE courtesy of the fultoncountymedia.com website.

Photo: Evergreen Vikings – 2023 OHSAA DIII Boys District Soccer Champions