And another from the same Cleveland County newspaper:
http://www.shelbystar.com/news/northwood-43224-blog-soccer.html#slCommentsShelby wins first-ever state soccer title (updated with photos)
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High school soccer
Saturday, Nov 21 2009, 5:48 pm
CARY — Believe it or not, the Shelby Golden Lions won the 2A State boys soccer championship Saturday, becoming the first-ever team from Cleveland County to win a state title in that sport with a 2-1 victory over Pittsboro Northwood.
And while they may not have quite been the 1983 "Cardiac Pack" coached by Jim Valvano, this team certainly came out of nowhere to accomplish the seeming impossible.
With eight graduated seniors to replace from last year’s team, four straight one-goal wins in the playoffs entering Saturday’s match, and no one player that seemed to be a superstar, the numbers didn’t seem to add up to a Lions' win.
But they sure did in the end.
“It’s awesome; I’m so proud of our guys,” Shelby High coach and alum David Steeves said after the game, his eyes welling up with tears. “This program had been getting closer and closer and these guys were able to get it done.”
The first Shelby goal came from senior forward Kevin Petty, who deflected a clearing attempt by a Northwood defender off his thigh and into the goal in the fourth minute.
“My freshman year we went to the western semifinals,” Petty said. “As a sophomore, we made it a step further, then last year we lost in the title game. Pretty ironic.”
The match stayed 1-0 until the 67th minute when Shelby sophomore Jerry Zeller hit a one-timer with his left foot into the corner of the net from around 20 yards out.
“After the goal, I just started running because I didn’t know what to do,” said Zeller, who had a first-half shot from inside the box deflect off the right post.
Zeller was also named the game’s MVP.
“This is probably the best feeling I’ve ever had,” he said. “When I got the (MVP) trophy afterwards, I just stared at it. This is so crazy.”
“I told him I guess that makes up for the one in the first half off the post,” Steeves said.
But things weren’t to be easy for Shelby (23-3-1) as Sam Lucier was able to finally get one past Lions' senior keeper Rob Binion in the 73rd minute.
Binion was drawn out of goal to trying to deflect a throw-in, when Lucier, who nearly scored moments earlier, took advantage.
All that changed was the final score, though, after seven more minutes of vicious Shelby defense.
“It’s unreal,” Binion said. “I think it just hit me when I looked at David Hill a few minutes ago. He got what we thought was a bad call on a red card the other night and we did this for him. He was a huge part of the motivation.”
Asked if he had ever thought winning state might have been a possibility before this season began, Steeves didn’t need much time to come up with a response.
“No,” he said. “But these guys have come such a long way and stayed focused. They just fought and fought.”
