On an action filled Thursday, the girls soccer team had their Senior Day against the Minnehaha Redhawks, the boys finished their regular season against the Redhawks and the football team took on Blake in the 100th anniversary of the rivalry.
The boys travelled just past the river to play their last regular season game, one that if they won would clinch their second conference title in just three years. The Redhawks were third in the Tri-Metro Conference and would make sure to give the Spartans a hard time. Thursday marked the return to action of Junior Forward Cameron "CC" Causey as well who had sat out with a groin injury for four straight games. The match started off in the worst of ways for the Spartans who conceded a goal to Minnehaha after only 30 seconds. The Spartans found themselves behind for the first time in conference play all season, but it would be a test that would only do them good. As the half went on, the Spartans trailed but did not allow the frustration to get to them too much, knowing that they would come back. About half way through the half, after a few failed chances, the boys tied the game with Sam "Bulldog" Forsgren. The momentum shifted and the Spartans began to take control, but the Redhawks defense did not give up and so the half ended 1-1. The second half continued to be a battle which saw the Spartans almost continuously on the attack but the Minnehaha defense would be able to stop nearly anything. A few unlucky strikes also prevented the Spartans from going up, but then in his usual dramatic style Lorenzo "Cappucino" Pavoloni was able to awake his side by scoring his 11th goal of the season. The Spartans began to take full control, even though they were not playing their best soccer, they knew what they had to do to win. With little time to go, the Bulldog netted his 34th goal of the season to end the game and the Spartan Boys Soccer Team became Tri-Metro Conference Champions. Congratulations Spartans!
The girls instead played their last game on Historic Lang Field against the lady Redhawks and were looking to finish the season strong after a disappointing loss at Blake on Tuesday. Seniors Bari Applebaum, Anya Moradian and Jenna O'Brien played their last ever home games on Historic Lang and wanted to do nothing less than leave a mark. The girls battled and ended up winning the game 1-0. They finished their season in second place in the Tri-Metro Conference with their only losses of the season being to Class AA powerhouse Eastview and rivals Blake.
The two soccer teams will be awaiting "Selection Sunday" to see their draw for the Section Playoffs coming up next week. Good luck to both teams.
The main event of the night happened after the soccer games, at Blake. For the hundredth year the Blake SPA football rivalry would be played at Blake. The Spartans were incredibly motivated for the game and began the game with a very good drive, using their power running game. Hundreds of SPA fans made the trip for the game and continued unrivaled support for their boys who fought hard all night. The game saw the return of Senior Captain Andrew Bradley who had been injured since the first game of the season. Under much pain, Bradley saw his action limited on Thursday, but nevertheless toughed it out to participate both at quarterback and as a defensive back. The first quarter was a great battle that saw the Spartans within striking distance of the Bears. The second quarter saw more and more running plays for the Spartan offense who ran with Krazy Karl Hommeyer, Danny "the Rhino" O'Shea and David "Pitbull" Ristau but failed to convert. The Spartans fell far behind by halftime, but they never gave up and continued to fight for every yard. The fans, led by Spartan mascot Drew Whitaker, continued their unconditional support and it all paid off in the end when the Pitbull scored a touchdown on a running play. The game unfortunately ended 49-8 in favor of the Bears but it was a great night for all involved.
The Star Tribune however reported that our Spartans won the game.
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