As Southern Cayuga took the field in the first overtime against IAC rival Marathon in the Section IV, Class C soccer championship on Saturday, Chiefs senior Jon Hughes didn't have time to think about how worn out he and his teammates were. He could only think about scoring his third goal of the game and keeping his team's dream season alive.
Becky Gillard / Special to The Citizen
Southern Cayuga players react after Marathon scored the eventual game-winning goal in overtime of the Section IV, Class C final Saturday.
Southern Cayuga players react after Marathon scored the eventual game-winning goal in overtime of the Section IV, Class C final Saturday.
Hughes, who has scored in all four sectional playoff games, led his team back from a 2-0 first-half deficit by scoring one goal in each half, including the game-tying score at 17:00 on a free kick. That didn't matter in overtime, though, just like it didn't matter that the No. 5-seeded Chiefs upset the No. 1 seed earlier in the week to reach the finals. All that mattered was scoring just one more goal.
That goal never came for Hughes or the Chiefs.
Marathon's Andrew Parker, instead, scored on a pass from Andrew Dann halfway through overtime to give the second-seeded Olympians the title.
“At first I didn't realize it was over,” Chiefs goalkeeper Tyler Hilliard said. “Then I did and thought about how far we've gotten. I just wish we could have made it (further).”
Taking the No. 8 team in the state to overtime was thought nearly impossible for the Chiefs (12-4-3) at the start of the season.
“At the beginning of the season it was a dream to get to sectional finals,” Hughes said, “but we just kept getting better and better every week and we started to believe. It's disappointing but at the same time an accomplishment to get here.”
An accomplishment at the beginning of the year would have been just to make it to sectionals, said Southern Cayuga head coach Terry Underwood. Returning just two starters and less than a handful of seniors, the Chiefs were destined for growing pains. Underwood even admitted part of his roster should have been playing junior varsity this season.
Underwood knew it would take a total team effort to get wherever his team was going, and that is exactly what happened.
“The whole is greater than the individual parts, I thought that was very evident at the end of the year,” Underwood said. “Honestly, we didn't expect to be in this position. Our goal was to just make sectionals.”
The Chiefs, early on in the title game, looked like a team that didn't expect much. Marathon's Tim Rogers, who had three goals in the previous two games, put the Olympians up 1-0 with a free kick at 31:00. The ball rolled past the lunging Hilliard into the corner of the net. It was a ball Hilliard said he should have stopped.
Rogers scored again at 13:00, this time on a penalty kick after being taken down by Southern Cayuga's Tony Rejman.
The Chiefs, who were outshot 17-10, scored at 8:00 to cut the lead to one before halftime. Hughes scored on a cross from Chris Driscoll, who had been placing balls accurately all half.
Southern Cayuga did have the only second-half goal, but it Marathon dominated offensively. They had three corner kicks in the final 10 minutes of the second half, but all were stopped by Hilliard who had 14 saves in the game.
“I was playing to make up for the first goal which was the only goal that was legitimately my fault,” Hilliard said. “I was in a comfort zone.”
It was anything but comfortable for Southern Cayuga coaches and fans in the final five minutes of regulation, as Marathon continued to control the ball deep in the Chiefs zone. Marathon had an open shot from 10 yards out with one minute left, but it was kicked right into the chest of Hilliard.
The Olympians continued their relentless attack in overtime, as Southern Cayuga's tired legs and lack of depth showed late in the game. That was the difference in the game, Marathon head coach Chip Stewart said.
“I thought they ran out of gas,” he said. We had the ability to sub and rotate and get in our fresh players. (Coach Underwood) couldn't take out his key players without giving up a substantial loss and giving us opportunities.“
It was clear to Underwood his players were fatigued early on, and just plain exhausted by game's end.
“I don't think it was us being intimidated or lacking confidence, I think we were just worn out,” he said.
Hughes said his team had the most confidence entering this game than they have had all season after a 3-1 win in the semifinals against No. 1 seed Unadilla Valley. Revenge was also a motivator, as Marathon beat Southern Cayuga 3-0 earlier this season and tied them once.
“It pumped us up even more,” Hughes said. “We just didn't execute early. There was some lack of communication, but I'm just not sure everyone was ready to play today.”
That goal never came for Hughes or the Chiefs.
Marathon's Andrew Parker, instead, scored on a pass from Andrew Dann halfway through overtime to give the second-seeded Olympians the title.
“At first I didn't realize it was over,” Chiefs goalkeeper Tyler Hilliard said. “Then I did and thought about how far we've gotten. I just wish we could have made it (further).”
Taking the No. 8 team in the state to overtime was thought nearly impossible for the Chiefs (12-4-3) at the start of the season.
“At the beginning of the season it was a dream to get to sectional finals,” Hughes said, “but we just kept getting better and better every week and we started to believe. It's disappointing but at the same time an accomplishment to get here.”
An accomplishment at the beginning of the year would have been just to make it to sectionals, said Southern Cayuga head coach Terry Underwood. Returning just two starters and less than a handful of seniors, the Chiefs were destined for growing pains. Underwood even admitted part of his roster should have been playing junior varsity this season.
Underwood knew it would take a total team effort to get wherever his team was going, and that is exactly what happened.
“The whole is greater than the individual parts, I thought that was very evident at the end of the year,” Underwood said. “Honestly, we didn't expect to be in this position. Our goal was to just make sectionals.”
The Chiefs, early on in the title game, looked like a team that didn't expect much. Marathon's Tim Rogers, who had three goals in the previous two games, put the Olympians up 1-0 with a free kick at 31:00. The ball rolled past the lunging Hilliard into the corner of the net. It was a ball Hilliard said he should have stopped.
Rogers scored again at 13:00, this time on a penalty kick after being taken down by Southern Cayuga's Tony Rejman.
The Chiefs, who were outshot 17-10, scored at 8:00 to cut the lead to one before halftime. Hughes scored on a cross from Chris Driscoll, who had been placing balls accurately all half.
Southern Cayuga did have the only second-half goal, but it Marathon dominated offensively. They had three corner kicks in the final 10 minutes of the second half, but all were stopped by Hilliard who had 14 saves in the game.
“I was playing to make up for the first goal which was the only goal that was legitimately my fault,” Hilliard said. “I was in a comfort zone.”
It was anything but comfortable for Southern Cayuga coaches and fans in the final five minutes of regulation, as Marathon continued to control the ball deep in the Chiefs zone. Marathon had an open shot from 10 yards out with one minute left, but it was kicked right into the chest of Hilliard.
The Olympians continued their relentless attack in overtime, as Southern Cayuga's tired legs and lack of depth showed late in the game. That was the difference in the game, Marathon head coach Chip Stewart said.
“I thought they ran out of gas,” he said. We had the ability to sub and rotate and get in our fresh players. (Coach Underwood) couldn't take out his key players without giving up a substantial loss and giving us opportunities.“
It was clear to Underwood his players were fatigued early on, and just plain exhausted by game's end.
“I don't think it was us being intimidated or lacking confidence, I think we were just worn out,” he said.
Hughes said his team had the most confidence entering this game than they have had all season after a 3-1 win in the semifinals against No. 1 seed Unadilla Valley. Revenge was also a motivator, as Marathon beat Southern Cayuga 3-0 earlier this season and tied them once.
“It pumped us up even more,” Hughes said. “We just didn't execute early. There was some lack of communication, but I'm just not sure everyone was ready to play today.”
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