Programs from Utah, Mo. top HS TotW

by Will Parchman

March 25, 2014

The TopDrawerSoccer.com High School Team of the Week marches on with two more worthy candidates this week. The introduction of spring soccer has created a dearth of teams looking to get off to a quick start in the 20 participating states. So while the season may be young, here’s a look in at a pair of schools that made last week a memorable one.

Of note: Texas high school soccer begins its playoffs this week, which should create even more havoc for this award next week.

Boys: Murray High School (Salt Lake City, Utah)

In 2012, Murray and Olympus met in the Utah Class 4A state title game. That day, Olympus pulled out a 3-2 win over Murray, a scoreline that reflected the entertaining encounter at Real Salt Lake’s Rio Tinto Stadium. The game launched the two teams into a cycle of competition that lasts to this day. In fact, it bled onto the field just last week in the league opener for both teams. And the rivalry added an apt chapter to the scintillating book it ostensibly started with the title game in 2012.

On Friday, Murray legged out a 2-1 overtime win over Olympus thanks to a Chris Oregon penalty kick to bump its record to 2-1-1 on the young season. Olympus held a 1-0 edge at half, but a Nate Christensen equalizer with 17 minutes left sent the teams into an overtime period Murray owned. The teams meet again on April 8, and perhaps a third time in the playoffs. Don’t count this one out as one of the state’s best bourgeoning rivalries on the boys soccer scene.

Girls: Hannibal High School (Hannibal, Mo.)

Missouri is just opening its spring account for girls high school soccer, so teams are still feeling their way through some early season jitters. That presumably includes Hannibal, which posted a perfect 12-0 league record last year en route to a 19-6 overall record. But the sixth loss stung; .500 side Moberly stunned Hannibal 2-1 in overtime in the Class 2 District 8 title game to steal their state tournament berth (where they lost to eventual state champion St. Dominic 10-0 in the first round).

Hungry to get back to the state’s most prestigious stage, Hannibal opened its season Saturday with a rousing 4-0 win over league foe Marshall to get 2014 off to a bang-up start. With the first one down, the march to redemption is officially on for Hannibal.

Honorable mention

Boys: Skyline High School (Sammamish, Wash.), Eastern View High School (Culpepper, Va.)

Girls: Millbrook High School (Raleigh, N.C.), Duluth High School (Duluth, Ga.)