One year after losing a heartbreaker in the state championship game, the Gray Collegiate Academy War Eagles (21-6-1) earned their shot at redemption with a dominant 6-0 win over Greer Middle College to send them back to the 2A state championship game.

The War Eagles were in complete control from the opening to the final whistle. The game was only tied for ten minutes and after Jonathan Coonce scored two of his three goals at the 10 and 14 minute mark (assisted by Brendan Marks and Zach Hart), it wouldn’t be very competitive. After his assist on the first goal, Hart added another goal in the 28th minute to conclude the first half scoring. The War Eagles went to the break with a comfortable 3-0 lead.

Coonce got his hat trick with a rocket shot from the edge of the box that was perfectly placed in the top left hand corner of the net.

“Jon has had a great last month for us,” head coach Kevin Heise said after the game. Heise also reflected on the long journey it took for Coonce to get into the starting lineup and what it has been like to see him build up to the performance he had in the semifinals. 

“Jon transferred here his sophomore year and had to play JV. Talent wise, he was a no-brainer to be on varsity but last year, we had ten seniors and he was kind of finding his place amongst that crowd. This year, we told him back in the fall ‘Hey Jon, we really need you to step up’ and he’s really blossomed in the last six or seven weeks. I mean, it has really been a change in his overall intensity, demeanor and passion. I think that’s what’s carrying him right now. He was brilliant tonight, nothing short of it.”

The scoring wasn’t done after Coonce’s hat trick. Ethan Mohundro and Mason Bohn both tacked on goals to get the final score up to 6-0, where it stayed until the final whistle. 

It wasn’t just scoring. Gray dominated the game from all angles. The team surrendered very few scoring chances and maintained possession of the ball for most of the game. 

Gray’s postseason started with a bye in round one, a 5-0 win against Columbia in round two, a 5-0 win over Saluda in the quarterfinal and now they roll into the playoffs following a 6-0 semifinal win against Greer. In three playoff games, Gray has outscored their opponents by a score of 16-0. 

“First and foremost, as I told the boys as soon as we got to the final last year, we met in my classroom on the Wednesday after that Saturday game and said ‘Look, the goal is to get back here next year,’” Heise said. “I said it’s going to be a process. This team overcame a lot of adversity this year. That’s probably what I’m most proud of. I think some people really question our resolve and question what we could do.”

Back in March, Gray experienced a setback when a key player on the team was dismissed from the program, forcing it to adapt to a new look lineup and grow in ways that Heise believes helped them mature to the point of being able to make a championship run.

“We had a personnel shift on our team and one of our better players is no longer with us. Sometimes when you do that, there’s a lot of doubt and a lot of pity parties being thrown. I told the guys that we can sit here and cry about it or we can buck up and play,” Heise added. “It’s a good life lesson for everybody involved and you know, we’re in a place that holds people accountable. I’m blessed to be a part of that.”

This sets up the 2A state championship game Saturday, May 13 against the Oceanside Collegiate Academy Landsharks out of Mt. Pleasant. 

The Landsharks are undefeated, standing at 13-0-1, with the only non-win coming from a 1-1 tie against Catawba Ridge back in February. So far in the playoffs, they defeated Cheraw 11-0 in the second round following their first round bye, beat Andrew Jackson 0-0 by way of penalty kicks in the quarterfinals and took down Academic Magnet 2-0 in the semifinals. They’re also ranked fourth in the entire country according to Max Preps.

Despite the daunting task of facing one of the best teams in the nation for a state championship, Heise feels confident that his team has what it takes to win the whole thing.

“Our starting eleven is a solid group. We’re healthy for the most part. We were missing a starter tonight (Noah Mitchell) who was sick. But for the most part, we’ve been healthy and I think that’s huge this time of year. I think the boys are focused and they’re hungry and they know that this is the one thing missing from this program. I keep telling them, ‘Guys, at some point, we’re going to get it, so who is going to be a part of it?’. They’ve done a heck of a job to get us back there.”