BOYS SOCCER: Waterford Oakdale Christian earns 3-peat, topples Vassar Juanita for third straight MACS-II state title
BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
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DAVISON — Mason Walsh doesn’t really have a designated position on the soccer field in terms of where he might be the entire game.
The sophomore is literally all over the field.
Walsh scored two goals the first 12 minutes Saturday as a midfielder and later anchored a solid back line, as Waterford Oakdale Christian Academy defeated Vassar Juanita Christian, 3-1, in the Michigan Association of Christian Schools Division II boys soccer state finals at Davison Faith Baptist High School.
It marked the Patriots’ third straight title in four consecutive MACS-II title match appearances.
The game was a rematch of last year’s MACS-II state finals, where Oakdale Christian scored three times in the final 25 minutes to erase a 3-1 deficit and record a 4-3 victory over the Flames.
“Coach had me pushed up in the midfield to try to glue things up with our forwards and try to get some early goals,” said Walsh, who finished the season with 22 goals and 22 assists and ironically plays goalkeeper with his club team. “Once we got the lead, then I dropped back some to help us defensively.”
First-year Oakdale Christian head coach Jo Wilkie, who was a senior on the Patriots’ state runner-up squad in 2015 that lost to Milford West Highland Christian in the MACS-II finals, said the team’s goal was to make it back to the finals.
“We really wanted to get back here first and keep it going, building on what we accomplished the past couple of years. That was the goal being my first year,” offered Wilkie. “We were able to do that this season and (defend our title). I thought we had a really good season. Our only two losses were to bigger (MACS-I) schools.”
And converting on its second and third shots of the game put Oakdale Christian Academy into a comfort zone.
“I think getting those two quick goals was important. It allowed us to move some guys like Mason around and concentrate on defense as well,” added Wilkie. “We had a nice lead and other than the late goal we gave up I thought we controlled the game.
“It helps when you have some skilled players that you can move around to different positions,” added Wilkie. “With players like Mason Walsh, we can do that.”
Walsh scored his 21st goal of the campaign just 4:28 into the contest. Corralling a short pass from freshman forward Ethan Hehl, Walsh turned and uncorked a blast from 19 yards out that sailed into the upper 90 of the web.
Walsh scored his 22nd marker of the year what proved to be the game winner with 28:53 still to play in the first half. This time he again dialed long distance with a 25-yard strike to the same right corner of the goal.
Junior forward Richard Tuttle, who assisted on Oakdale Christian’s second goal, gave the Patriots a three-goal cushion with 4:02 left in the first half when he scored unassisted, beating his mark and unleashing a 10-yard shot inside the box past Juanita Christian sophomore goalkeeper Tyler Pittman.
Tuttle finished with 31 goals and 26 assists — both believed to be single-season school records for a program just seven years old.
Walsh and Tuttle both barely missed on some insurance goals in the first half, where Oakdale Christian held a 12-2 shots edge.
“Being down early did hurt us. It’s always easier to play with a two-goal lead rather than trying to play catch up down two goals,” said Juanita Christian coach Gary Libka. “They have 6-7 really skilled players that know what they are doing. We had a couple of chances and we’re able to score late in the game, but we din’t have very many great (scoring chances).”
Juniata (12-7-2) spoiled the shutout with 8:50 to play in the game, where sophomore Micah Flanders pounced on a rebound and scored from close range. Senior Wyatt Swadling’s blast from 18 yards out was blocked by Oakdale junior goalkeeper Liam Ferrell, but Flanders deposited the rebound into the corner of the goal.
Oakdale Christian (15-2-0) ended up with an 18-7 shots edge, including 10-6 with shots on frame, and even held a 5-1 edge on cornerkicks.
Ferrell made five saves for Oakdale Christian, while Pittman turned aside seven shots for Juanita Christian.
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