Semoball

Domian's OT goal, defense lift Jackson to first state soccer championship

Jackson junior forward, Chalon Domian, shirtless, leads his team toward the Indian fans following his overtime goal to beat St. Dominic Saturday in the MSHSAA Class 4 State Final at the Lake Country Soccer at Cooper Family Complex in Springfield.
Gordon Radford ~ Special to the Southeast Missourian

SPRINGFIELD – The people of Southeast Missouri may scoff at the notion of referring to any Jackson athletic program as being an underdog. However, that is precisely what the Indians were when they took to the pitch Saturday at the Lake Country Soccer at Cooper Family Complex in Springfield for the MSHSAA Class 4 Boy’s Soccer State Final.

St. Dominic had history on its side.

The Crusaders had been in this game eight times, while Jackson had never even made a semifinal.

Heck, the Indians didn’t even have geography going for them.

No team outside of the Kansas City or St. Louis metropolitan areas had ever won an MSHSAA championship in its highest classification.

It has now.

Jackson got a goal from (who else?) junior forward Chalon Domian in overtime (of course it was) in the 84th minute to beat St. Dominic 1-0 and claim the first soccer state championship in program history.

“These kids are never going to give up,” veteran Indian coach Zack Walton said. “There is something about Jackson boys, they never give up.”

If you think that is bias or hyperbole on the part of Walton, you are incorrect. And all you had to have done is watch the final play of the game to know Walton is simply being honest.

Jackson junior midfielder Will Essner took a ball at the halfway line and headed it in the direction of Domian, who was set up around the 35-yard mark.

Essner’s pass sailed smack-dab into the middle of three Crusader defenders around the 25-yard mark, as Domian raced to it.

A St. Dominic player was able to head the ball toward Crusader goalkeeper Will Nicholson, while the other two defenders slowed to a stop.

The problem for St. Dominic was that Domian didn’t.

“Their defense tried to head it back to their goalie so they could pick it up,” Domian explained. “I just intercepted it.”

He “intercepted it” because he never gave up on the play.

Domian ran pell-mell for another 10 yards and beat Nicholson to the ball and lifted it over the sliding goalkeeper and into the back of the net.

“We thrive in overtime,” Domian said. “I told (Coach Walton), ‘I’m scoring and were going over into that corner. State is coming home, baby!’”

Domian did all of that after having played 84 minutes. His energy – and that of his teammates – was exemplified as Jackson’s opportunities increased as the game waned on through a frigid, driving rainstorm, and St. Dominic’s chances didn’t.

The overtime victory was the fourth such in the past five games by the Indians.

“I definitely felt more and more confident as the game progressed,” Jackson senior goalkeeper Luke Mirly said. “When that buzzer rang to go into overtime, we’ve been here before (and) they haven’t.”

Of the Indians' last 10 games, 8 have been decided by one goal. Jackson closed the season with six victories in large part because of Mirly, but a bunch of guys in front of him, as well.

St. Dominic doubled Jackson’s offense statistically, as it totaled 12 shots with four being on goal.

“The midfielders and fullbacks,” Mirly said, “they did an amazing job cleaning it up. They helped me out because I needed a little bit of help back there tonight.”

That was evidenced at the 63:30 mark, as senior defender Devin Reiminger saved Mirly by clearing a Crusader shot out of the box after it had dribbled past Mirly.

The Indians only had two shots on goal (four overall) with Domian having both of those opportunities.

He nearly won the game in regulation as he bent a kick, ala David Beckham, with seven minutes remaining that soared just inches to the right of the post.

“I’ve said since the beginning (of the season),” Walton said, “if we keep that score close, we’ve got too many good players not to score goals and we showed that again tonight.”

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