The mind of Clayton girls soccer coach Brendan Taylor juggled multiple tactical decisions as the Greyhounds battled St. Pius X – Kansas City during the Missouri Class 2 state championship game Saturday at Soccer Park in Fenton.
The intense heat coupled with a stellar St. Pius X defense forced Taylor to interchange players and positions, and that was before leading scorer Stella Whitney left the game for several minutes with a foot injury.
“Their defense was really good,” Taylor said. “I was asking, ‘Are you feeling good on this side or that side?’ I was watching if a girl looked tired. There were a lot of factors that we were trying to balance.”
But soon after Clayton sophomore Anna McAndrew delivered the championship-winning, golden goal to give the Greyhounds a 3-2 victory in overtime, Taylor began thinking of those who he wished could share in the moment.
Taylor’s father Bill coached soccer at Parkway West for 30 years, winning the Missouri 4A boys state championship in 1986 when Brendan was 6 years old.
Brendan Taylor stood with his 6-year-old daughter as Clayton players joyfully took photos holding the state championship trophy.
“I felt like there was some symmetry there that I was hoping would come true,” Brendan Taylor said. “To do this, on this field, I grew up dreaming about this.”
Bill Taylor currently resides in an assisted living home and was unable to attend the state championship game.
“The only thing I would change is that he could be here with me,” Brendan Taylor said.
Taylor also thought of players who elected to focus solely on club soccer and did not get to experience the thrill of the Greyhounds’ state title run.
“We had five people not come out (for the Clayton high school team) that we obviously wanted to come out, but they chose not to. I’m not mad at them for what they chose, but I just feel bad that they’re missing out,” Taylor said.
Taylor listened as a massive student section cheered on the Greyhounds’ players throughout the game and watched as they celebrated together afterwards. He hopes that his players will help in spreading the word about the value of playing for their high school teams.
“I was just hoping that I could provide an experience for these girls where they could go in and talk to those other girls, and that would be the counterweight. ‘This is an experience worth having. This is memories. This is life-building stuff,’” Taylor said.
Clayton erased second half deficits during its quarterfinal, semifinal and championship game victories in winning the first girls soccer state title in program history.
After scoring the overtime winner in the state title game, McAndrew said, “I’ll be excited to talk about this the rest of my life. My kids will be hearing about this.”
For Taylor, who also coaches the Clayton boys soccer team, the argument between playing club and high school soccer does not need to be a one-or-the-other decision.
“Some club coaches are trying to kill (high school soccer) as best they can, especially on the girls side,” Taylor said. “In general, that whole argument about club and high school, they can coexist, and I hope this was a statement that (high school soccer) is an experience that can make you better at the game of soccer and the game of life.”
He added, “I hope that message carries because high school soccer is awesome.”
