By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
A pair of tight one-goal losses resulted in a fourth-place finish for Washburn Rural in the Class 6A state soccer tournament at the Stryker Complex in Wichita.
Junior Benett Hallauer scored Washburn Rural's lone goal in a 2-1 loss to Dodge City in Saturday's Class 6A third-place game at Wichita. [File photo/TSN]
After a 1-0 loss to eventual state champion Mill Valley in Friday night's second semifinal, Rural and Dodge City were tied 1-1 in the closing minutes of Saturday's third-place game before Dodge City took a 2-1 win on a goal from Irwin Macias with just 1:06 remaining off an assist from Francisco Hernandez.
Dodge City, which finished off a 20-1-0 season, drew first blood at the 32:22 mark of the opening half on a goal from Mario Olivares.
The score remained 1-0 through the first half and well into the second half before Washburn Rural (16-5-0) evened the match on a goal from junior Benett Hallauer with 9:18 remaining.
Mill Valley (17-1-1) earned its first state championship with a 1-0 win over Olathe West (18-3-0), with the Jaguars getting the game's only goal in the 67th minute.
Washburn Rural's six-member senior class of Easton Bradstreet, Cayden Lee, Jaxon Padilla, Rishi Sandir, Ty Stead and Aaron Tinajero played its final game for the Junior Blues.
Rural was making its third straight 6A final four appearance, finishing second in 2021 and fourth in 2020 before Saturday's fourth-place finish.
The Junior Blues have made it to the final four 15 times overall.
