FENTON – Westminster senior Caden Collison was heartbroken.
The soccer forward and football wide receiver, who had helped both teams advance deep into the postseason, suffered a season-ending knee injury during a district championship football game that abruptly ended both seasons.
“For him to have that injury so late in the season, we hurt for him,” Westminster coach Dan Legters said. “The players said, ‘As much as Caden got us to where we are now, he is an inspiration to this team, and we want to do something for him.’”
The Wildcats entered Soccer Park with warmup shirts that read, ‘Final 4 for Caden’ and dedicated the remainder of their playoff run to their top goal-scorer and inspirational leader.
“They surprised me with that,” Collison said. “I have to admit, I got choked up a little bit.”
Collison watched from the sideline with pride as his younger brother Krew Collison delivered the pass, senior Levi Weik scored the goal and Westminster completed their mission with a 1-0 victory over previously undefeated Logan-Rogersville to win the Missouri State High School Activities Association Class 2 championship Saturday at Soccer Park.
Westminster (21-5) won its first state title in boys soccer in its first ever trip to the final four.
“It means a lot, especially not having Caden,” junior defender Landon Cassidy said. “He’s made a huge impact to our team. We were basically trying to make a run for him, doing it for him.”
Westminster’s Collison still motoring along in soccer, football
Logan-Rogersville (26-1) also was playing in its first state title game and had endured a physically grueling 110 minutes of soccer the previous day in a semifinal victory over Orchard Farm that required penalty kicks to decide a winner.
That knowledge played a factor in the way Westminster devised its tactical approach on Saturday.
“The game plan was literally to move the ball around, let them chase a little bit, and once they’re tired, get space and run in behind,” Legters said.
A scoreless 40 minutes appeared to offer no advantage to either team, but the ability to keep possession and tax the Rogersville defense served the desired purpose for Westminster.
“We were getting in behind (their defense) in the first half, we just weren’t getting the corners,” Legters said. “It seemed as if there were 15 goal kicks. It was like, ‘Man, just poke it off of them or something.’”
In the second half, the corners and the scoring chances emerged.
A bending corner kick off the foot of junior Blake Musielak required an excellent save from Rogersville senior goalkeeper Brady Goodson, who followed his brilliant, 10-save semifinal performance with a six-save effort on Saturday.
Another precise, corner delivery by Musielak was directed inches over the crossbar by junior Hunter Lemoine.
Then, after testing the Rogersville wing backs with dangerous runs by sophomore Adriel-Roger Monga, Westminster found openings through the middle.
A cross from Musielak found the head of Weik, whose flick required a diving save from Goodson. Moments later, a steal in the midfield by junior Austin McCarthy sent Weik in alone, but Goodson slid way out of his crease to block the shot attempt.
The near misses did not discourage Weik, but rather, infused him with confidence.
“I was kind of happy because we were starting to get good opportunities and I knew it would lead to a goal soon enough,” Weik said.
That goal occurred in the 63rd minute when sophomore Krew Collison received a pass in the midfield, surveyed the scene and picked his moment.
“I saw Levi making that run and I was waiting for a time where I could slip it through with the perfect speed in the perfect spot,” Krew Collison said.
Weik ran onto to the pass and chipped it over a sliding Goodson and into the net to provide a 1-0 lead for Westminster.
“It was just putting the pieces together,” Weik said. “It was all we had worked on, running behind the defense, making the curved run. Krew played a perfect ball, and I was just doing my job up top.”
Both Weik and Krew Collison scored goals in a 3-0 semifinal victory over Excelsior Springs, and both continued their outstanding weekend. For Krew, the ability to chat with his brother Caden on the sideline inspired his play.
“(Caden) was able to talk me through things. When I came off in the first half, he was telling me things to fix when I go back in,” Krew said. “He just brings so much to the team, leading goal scorer and a mentor to everyone.”
For the final 18 minutes, the swarming Westminster defense ensured that prolific 45-goal scorer Stewart McDonald or playmaker Conner Stewart did not find room to operate.
“They didn’t really mark any of our players, they swarmed and they got out there quick,” Logan-Rogersville coach Brett Wubbena said. “When you don’t have time and space, the game is harder.”
That defensive effort was led by Cassidy, who stood in front of several heavy shot attempts from distance and booted away attempted crosses.
“Defensively, we were trying to get in front of every shot and trying to step in front of them before they could even take a shot,” Cassidy said. “We knew they went into PKs last night, so keeping the ball and making them chase was huge.”
And the final Rogersville opportunity was thwarted by sophomore goalkeeper Jacob Stinebaker, who sized up an airborne shot from freshman Jason Bevzyuk, leapt and tapped it over the crossbar just before it entered the top corner.
Stinebaker and the Westminster defense did not yield a goal throughout the entire playoff run.
“Our defense did what it has been doing all season long – shutting good teams down,” Legters said.
And despite playing without 27-goal scorer Caden Collison, the Wildcats found enough offense to win a state title.
“The team recognized, we have to pick Caden up and reward him for all the work that he did all season long,” Legters said. “We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him.”
Caden took part in an after-game gathering on a side field and celebrated with teammates, many who were wearing shirts bearing his name.
“It got a little hard at some points, sitting there watching and not being able to play, but I’m so happy they got it done. I love this program,” he said.