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To hear CBC senior Dominic Bartoni describe the art of goal scoring is like listening to a master chef describe a signature dish.
“I love scoring,” Bartoni said. “The first five minutes, I try to see how the defenders are playing. If they’re dropped off, I’ll look for a shot at the top of the 18 (yard box). If they’re playing high, I’ll look for a run over the top. I’m always trying to see what I can do.”
Bartoni earned All-American status last season with a breakout offensive season, scoring 18 goals including five game-winners and powering CBC into the Class 4 state title game.
“He’s really gifted athletically, good size, speed, acceleration, quickness on and off the ball, and he has a nose for the goal. He lives to score goals,” said CBC coach Terry Michler, who will miss the start of the CBC season to undergo medical treatment.
It took Bartoni four games to notch his first goal, a game-winner in a 1-0 victory over Lindbergh on Sept. 1, and it jumpstarted a September to remember.
“Once that first goal happens, it’s going,” Bartoni said.
Two days later, he scored both goals in 2-1 victory over Chaminade, the final one coming on a penalty kick in double overtime – setting him on the path of a 14-goal month.
Bartoni scored twice in a 3-1 victory over De Smet on Sept. 15 and notched a hat trick in a win over Priory on Sept. 21, as the Cadets cruised into October with a 10-5 overall record.
“Dominic is an explosive player. Any time he gets going, there’s an opportunity for something special to happen. He’s fun to watch,” said CBC interim coach Randy Roy, who will guide the Cadets until Michler returns.
But with a flip of the calendar came a flip of fortunes, as the Cadets lost their first four games in October, and Bartoni and his teammates found themselves at a crossroads.
“We hit a mental block. We just weren’t going about our playing style the way we had been,” Bartoni said. “We lost that (fourth) game, and we knew something had to change. We finally brought it together and went on a pretty good winning streak.
That winning streak included five consecutive one-goal victories during a magical postseason.
In front of two highly-energized student sections in the district championship game, Bartoni scored the game-winning goal with 12 minutes remaining to give CBC a thrilling 1-0 victory over rival De Smet.
“Straight out of a movie, it was amazing,” Bartoni said.
Two more 1-0 victories placed CBC in the Class 4 state title game, where they faced a smothering Rockhurst defense.
Bartoni found a way to send seven shots goalward, but none found the net and Rockhurst won the state championship by a 1-0 score.
“I do think there were a few chances I could have gone about differently,” Bartoni said. “Their defense was really strong. They played a stopper-sweeper, so anytime I got the ball I had two guys on me. It was tough to get a good shot, so props to them.”
For Bartoni, a change in mentality allowed his outstanding junior season to take shape.
“I wanted it more. I knew I wanted to play in college, and that meant I had to step up my game and play at a higher level,” Bartoni said. “My sophomore year I’d say I tried to do things myself, and last year I was more coachable. I really listened to Coach Michler and did what he said, and it got me a long way.”
The accolades started to pour in. He won co-player of the year in Class 4, sharing the honor with Rockhurst senior Baka Kante. Bartoni also earned a spot on the All-Central Region team and was named an All-American.
“(All-American) is something I’ve always dreamed of and I never thought I’d get there,” Bartoni said. “It’s a great achievement. but it’s something that happened last season, and it needs to be re-earned. It’s time to focus on this season.”
That focus is spelled out every day in the Cadets’ gold practice shirts that read, “Unfinished Business.”
CBC returns all but two starters from the state championship starting lineup, and Bartoni joins a senior-laden roster that includes five other seniors who have been varsity players since their freshman year.
“We have a lot of experience, we know how to play with each other, and we’re good friends on and off the field. I’m very excited with how it looks,” Bartoni said.
Last season, Bartoni played mostly as a lone striker, often being the farthest player up the field when he received the ball. It required him to make an offensive charge without much support.
This year, he is practicing at a wing position, allowing him to cut inside or play the ball down the line to let his playmaking ability shine through.
“Dominic had a really good year with goals scored, but there’s parts of the game he can still learn and he’s learning them,” Michler said. “It’s important to be a guy who can make opportunities available for teammates, so that’s a big part he’s learning as we go.”
But make no mistake, Bartoni will be expected to score goals for a storied CBC program seeking its 11th state championship.
It’s an expectation he welcomes.
“At the end of the day, that’s what I want to do. I want to be that guy,” Bartoni said. “I don’t feel too much pressure. I’m willing to step up and do it.”
