The Laquey and Richland boys varsity soccer team plays in the Class 1 State Tournament today (Nov. 15) after winning their district championship.
The team, which is a cooperative sponsorship between Laquey School District and Richland R-4 School District, won their district championship match against Greenwood 3-0 in Springfield Monday, advancing to state.
Laquey Head Coach Aaron Thier said it was the eighth championship in Laquey’s history. He was thankful for Monday’s cheering section’s support at the away game.
The season, he said, had started out tough with games the team should have won. The team plays tough schedules to prepare them for the competition portion of the season, and by the second half, the team had gotten in the groove. His players were committed.
He said the team had broken team records this season and expected them to continue to do so. Senior Rhyder Marlin would have some career records, he said, and he thought there would be at least four players that made all-region.
Thier had initiated the co-op, which is for both the boys and girls soccer teams, to sustain Laquey’s program and provide opportunities for Richland players to play. This is the second year of the co-op.
John McNabb, athletic director at Richland High School, said that the district championship win was a big deal for the community. He said the co-op was great for Richland’s athletes, four boys of which play this year.
Looking towards today’s game, Thier said the team usually plays their opponent, Stover, in their regular schedule but had not been able to this year. He liked the team’s chances, though.
“I’m confident that if our boys keep playing the way we have been that we can play with anybody,” Thier said. “So I like our chances. I think we’re probably the favorite, but that’s from a coach’s perspective, I guess.”
With a season record of 12-10, Laquey with Richland will play Stover (9-11) today in Stover. For schedule and score information, readers can view Laquey or Richland’s program section of the Missouri State High School Activities Association website.
