WINNING LEGACY

The 16 Chapin boys soccer seniors saw only one way to end their careers.

It would be with a third straight championship and another shutout victory.

Both took place last Friday at Ir-mo High School in the Class 4A title match against Eastside. The 1-0 win marked the third straight year Chapin had earned “Eagle” bragging rights over the Upper State rival and second in a row in the state final.

In addition, Chapin became the first school since St. Joseph Catholic to win three straight championships. The run of titles started in 2016 in Class 3A.

“It’s very gratifying,” said head coach Ken Corning, who was promoted from assistant April 10 after coach Denny Sago left. “These boys have stayed together. When they won two years ago for the first one, it was unexpected. It came together.

“Last year, we battled. This year, boy, in the middle of the season, we got hit with a blow. (coaching change). “But we came back, we stayed together and we worked on our defense, we worked on our set pieces and now we’re being rewarded. It’s very exciting.”

For the second straight game, Josh Lochstampfor accounted for the game’s lone goal. His free kick zipped past Eastside goalkeeper Shawn White at the 47th minute.

The defense finished its shutout playoff run by tying the S.C. High School League record of 11 points for fewest number allowed in a season.

Chapin (22-3) also tied the state record for the second-most shutouts in a season (20) and the third-most consecutive shutouts.

Even more meaningful for the 16 departing seniors was extending the team’s post-season winning streak to 15 and earning the school its 50th team sports title.

“There’s a lot of excellence at Chapin High School,” principal Akil Ross said. “You can’t spell champion without Chapin. We’re very proud of that.”

Lexington girls fall

in Class 5A final

Lexington High seniors wanted to end their careers with a second state soccer championship in four years.

A 3-minute scoring surge by J.L. Mann, however, put the Lady Wildcats in a deficit they could not overcome. The 3-2 loss to the Lady Patriots in the Class 5A title match snapped their 19-game winning streak.

Lexington led 1-0 at halftime after senior Siera Kirby’s goal. It only took seconds once play resumed for J.L. Mann to tie the game on Erica Manfre’s goal.

Nearly three minutes later, the Lady Patriots took advantage of another opening in Lexington’s defense for a second goal by Caroline Conti.

Conti added a second goal to give the Lady Patriots a 3-1 lead with 16 minutes left. The Lady Wildcats battled back as seniors Brooke Power and Mary Katherine Waters once again hooked up for a scoring play with 10:20 left.

Lexington had a few more opportunities, but the clock would run out to the delight of a J.L. Mann squad which avenged the 2016 Class 4A title game won on Megan Classer’s “Golden Goal”.