By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Topeka High's soccer team was 9-1 and 11-3 at various points in the 2024 season and the Trojans went into its final game of the regular season tied for the Centennial League lead.
Topeka High junior Bruno Nunez (8) chases down a loose ball in Tuesday's 2-0 Class 6A regional loss to Wichita Northwest. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Topeka High senior Antonio Aguirre (7) attempts to control the ball in Tuesday's 2-0 Class 6A regional loss to Wichita Northwest. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
But injuries eventually caught up with the Trojans, who dropped their final three games, including a 2-0 Class 6A regional loss to Wichita Northwest Tuesday night at Hummer Sports Park.
"Injuries were a big part of it,'' Topeka High coach Derek Snook said of the Trojans' late-season slide. "We lost our mouthpiece on the backline with Manny (Salas) and Vador (Limon) both going out about 10, 11 games in, and not having Jaime (Alvarado) available as well and just being beat up and banged up really hurt us, and obviously Carlos (Acosta-Martinez) going out in this game.
"But we didn't do the things that we needed to do to finish either. The first 15 minutes of the game we had opportunities and just didn't finish.''
Northwest, the No. 12 West seed, improved to 7-10-0 while advancing to a regional final Thursday night while No. 5 seed Topeka High finished its season 11-6-0.
Northwest took a 1-0 lead on a goal by freshman Maddox Bemis at the 15:09 mark of the opening half and added a very important insurance goal with 20:21 remaining on a penalty kick from senior Eli Benning.
The Trojans had numerous scoring opportunities, particularly in the first half, but couldn't capitalize, with Northwest senior goalkeeper Evan Locke posting the shutout.
And although the season didn't end the way the Trojans wanted it to, Snook still felt good about the season overall.
"I think looking back the what ifs are always there unless you're carrying home a trophy at the end of the year but we've had a good year, a really good year,'' Snook said.
WICHITA NORTHWEST 2, TOPEKA HIGH 0
Wichita Northwest (7-10-0) 1 1 -- 2
Topeka High (11-6-0) 0 0 -- 0
Wichita Northwest -- Goals: Maddox Bemis, Eli Benning. Shutout: Evan Locke.
