DuBOIS, Pa. (EYT/D9) — The Redbank Valley boys soccer team now has a sweet tooth.
The goal at the beginning of the season was to win a playoff game. Anything else was considered icing on the cake.
Well, the Bulldogs have consumed a lot of icing lately.
(Pictured above, Redbank Valley celebrates after beating Karns City 2-0 for the District 9 Class A title)
A rousing 5-1 win over Clarion-Limestone put Redbank Valley in the District 9 Class A title match against Karns City, a team the Bulldogs hadn’t beaten in the last 27 meetings.
But this time, two early goals from Owen Clouse — one off penalty kick — gave Redbank Valley a 2-0 lead and the Bulldogs’ defense did the rest in a 2-0 win that gave Redbank its first district crown since 2001.
“It was their goal (to win the D9 title),” said Redbank Valley boys soccer coach Ty Carrier. My goal and my assistant, (Alan Ochs’) goals was to just win a playoff game. I told my parents that and my dad’s like, ‘everything else is icing on the cake. Let’s see how much icing you can get on there.'”
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Clouse has been icing opponents and matches all season and he did so again against Karns City, the No. 1 seed.
Clouse now has 44 goals this season and 125 in his career.
His two goals proved to me more than enough against the Gremlins.
“Their coach, RJ Carson, he took over there this year and I was hearing what he was saying out there to their kids,” Scott said. “That’s a soccer team with discipline and that is well-coached. He’s a good coach and they’re gonna be good forever.”
Redbank Valley hopes it will be good for just a while longer this season.
The Bulldogs will have a home playoff match on Tuesday to open the PIAA Class A playoffs.
Redbank has never won a state playoff match.
“If we get that win, that’s awesome because it’s never been done for Redbank soccer,” Scott said. “If we go home, we got our victory against Karns City and the D9 championship.”
It’s been a banner year for the Bulldogs, who have the all-time goal scorer in Clouse and the all-time assists record-holder at the school in Ty Carrier.
Kieran Fricko had the assist on Clouse’s second goal on Thursday against Karns City and has also come up big this season.
The defense shined, too, especially against a Gremlin team that has balance on offense and can come at a team from many different places.
“We just kept playing our game,” Scott said. “We have two seniors, two sophomores and a junior back there and our goalie is a sophomore. They had their bumps and bruises last year and sort of this year, but playoffs they have been playing really, really well.”
Karns City, the defending champs, fell short of winning its ninth D9 title.
Redbank Valley, Keystone, and Union/A-C Valley sports coverage on Explore and D9Sports.com is brought to you by Heeter Lumber.
