ST. CHARLES –The usual location of the Missouri high school soccer state championships is Soccer Park, which sits less than four miles away from Valley Park High School.
“We could have walked there,” Valley Park senior Will Geary said.
With the Hawks making their first championship site appearance in program history, it may have been disappointing when it was announced that the soccer championships were moving to Lindenwood University this season due to flood damage at Soccer Park.
But Lindenwood provided the perfect confluence of the past, present and future for the Geary family.
On the campus where their father Bob won a high school soccer state title more than 30 years earlier, Will and Luke Geary combined for three goals to help power Valley Park to a 4-0 victory over Missouri Military Academy to capture the Class 1 Missouri State High School Activities Association state title Thursday at Lindenwood’s Hunter Stadium.
Senior Will Geary, who will play baseball at Lindenwood, totaled seven goals during the semifinal and title games to set a record for goals at a championship site.
“It was the Will Geary Lindenwood preview. He had to bring his ‘A’ game,” his freshman brother Luke said.
It did not take long for the Hawks (25-3) to get into gear. In the first minute, Will Geary sent a perfect cross into the box for senior Joseph Buckman to blast into the goal. Two minutes later, Geary settled an airborne pass on his left foot, turned and simmered a shot into the goal to give Valley Park a 2-0 lead just 2 minutes 53 seconds into the contest.
“We got (to Lindenwood) way too early and had to sit in the locker room for a while, but the seniors have been waiting for this moment for four years,” Will Geary said.
In the 14th minute, Luke Geary cruised down the left side and drilled a shot that deflected off a Missouri Military defender and entered the net to give the Hawks a 3-0 lead. Luke slid on his knees in celebration with Will standing behind him with the smile of a proud older brother.
“I’ve been playing basketball, baseball, soccer with (Luke) as long as I can remember, and getting to do that out here on a bigger stage, it felt like just another game in the backyard,” Will Geary said.
In the 28th minute, senior Amar Al-Yagori found Will Geary in the center of the box, and in the blink of an eye, the ball was in the back of the net to give the Hawks a stunning 4-goal cushion.
“Without our teammates, we wouldn’t be in the position to be able to score goals, so I just want to thank everybody for working so well together,” Will Geary said.
The explosive first half stunned Missouri Military Academy (17-5) but did not shock Valley Park coach Tom Probst.
“They had their eyes on this all year, so in a way, I’m not surprised the way they went out there with their hair absolutely on fire,” Probst said.
A second yellow card issued to senior Clark Menley forced Valley Park to play a man down for the final 30 minutes and the Hawks were content to hunker down defensively as the clock wound down.
After winning 17 of its first 18 games this season, Valley Park suffered back-to-back losses to Lutheran South and Bayless in late October and took a moment to reset.
“We hit the brakes, stopped worrying about results, and focused on the process – doing the little things right, possessing the ball and playing harder than the other team, and we did it,” Probst said.
As time expired Thursday, the Geary brothers found each other and embraced, grateful for the opportunity to enjoy the moment together. Their dynamic during the season increased both the intensity and light-heartedness within the Hawks’ team.
“It’s something else. When those two are on the field at practice, they are so competitive going against each other. Luke tries to take on Will every chance he gets. It’s really refreshing to see those two go at it,” Probst said. “Sometimes, we have a little fun. If Luke makes a play, we’ll say, ‘Hey, Will. Could you have made that play?’ and vice versa, and they eat it up.”
For Luke, the ability to play with and learn from his brother has been a gift.
“Getting tips from the all-time points leader is great,” Luke said. “Something I learned from him is every day to give 100 percent, whether at practice or a game, whether you want to do it or don’t want to do it.”
He added, “Will’s a great leader. If he’s staying positive, we know we’re good and we still have a chance.”
And with the precedent set by Will Geary and the outstanding senior class at Valley Park, the Hawks may be attending more final fours in the near future, no matter where they are held.
“This was such a powerful thing for Luke to learn from his brother and become a leader going forward for the program,” Probst said.
Photo gallery at: https://benvessa.smugmug.com/Boys-Soccer/Boys-Soccer-2024/Valley-Park-vs-Missouri-Military-Academy