By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural's soccer team lost its head coach midway through the second half of Tuesday's Class 6A quarterfinal against Derby, but not the game, with the Juniors advancing to the state semifinals for the third straight season with a 3-2 win at McElroy Field.
Washburn Rural senior Cayden Lee (3) advances the ball against Derby's Angel Vielmas in Tuesday's 3-2 Junior Blue win in a Class 6A state quarterfinal. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Washburn Rural celebrates its 3-2 state quarterfinal win over Derby Tuesday night at McElroy Field. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
The Junior Blues, who improved to 16-3-0, trailed 1-0 after an early penalty kick and had to protect a slim one-goal advantage over the final 26:33, but got the job done, moving on to a Friday 6A semifinal at Wichita's Stryker Field.
The game included multiple yellow cards and a rare red-card ejection for veteran Junior Blues coach Brian Hensyel, who picked up yellow and red cards in rapid-fire succession with 22:49 remaining while attempting to discuss an official's decision.
Longtime assistant David Chooncharoen guided the Junior Blues the rest of the game, with Rural able to hold on for the win.
Chooncharoen, Rural's junior varsity coach and a longtime assistant, said he wasn't nervous about taking over the team down the stretch.
"Doing the JV, it's the same system and I'm at practice every day,'' Chooncharoen said. "And the last couple of weeks, with the JV done, I got to get more involved with these guys.''
But Chooncharoen and the Junior Blues did have to sweat out the final few minutes as the Panthers (14-5-0) tried to pull even.
"It seems like when you're winning and it's tight, the clock gets really, really slow,'' he said.
Derby took a 1-0 lead on a penalty pick from sophomore Angel Vielmas just 8:22 into the game, but Rural drew even with 17:25 left in the half on a goal from senior Aaron Tinajero and freshman Draden Chooncharoen put the Junior Blues ahead to stay with 6:03 left in the half on an assist from junior Griffin Heinen.
The Junior Blues added to their 2-1 halftime lead with 26:58 left in the game on Tinajero's second goal of the night off a pass from junior Devon Rutschmann, but Derby got back in the hunt 23 seconds later on a goal from sophomore Leonard Fernandez IV.
Hensyel said he was proud that his team was able to persevere to get a win in the hard-fought contest.
"When you get to this time there's a lot of emotions because kids on both sides want their seasons to continue, and Derby always battles,'' Hensyel said. "We have tough games with them all the time, so it's not surprising when it kind of goes that way.
"We always tell our kids to keep their head. Maybe I should listen to that a little better myself, but they did a great job and when the going got tough they buckled in and almost scored a couple but kept Derby out of the net at the end.''
WASHBURN RURAL 3, DERBY 2
Derby (14-5-0) 1 1 -- 2
Washburn Rural (16-3-0) 2 1 -- 3
Derby -- Goals: Angel Vielmas, Leonard Fernandez IV.
Washburn Rural -- Goals: Aaron Tinajero 2, Draden Chooncharoen. Assists: Brandon Hamilton, Griffin Heinen, Devin Rutschmann.
