The Crestwood Red Devils boys’ soccer team is no stranger to grinding out victory in a physical battle and they did so for the first time in a while, beating Portage County rival Ravenna 5-1 last Saturday afternoon at Portage Community Bank Stadium.
“It feels really good,” said Red Devils’ Coach Amanda Parsons. “We told the boys that they would have to come out and play physical on Saturday and that is what they did. They had to win the 50-50 balls and win the middle of the field and make sure they were keeping their heads on straight.”
Since Crestwood (4-5-0, 1-2-0) joined the Chagrin Valley Conference in 2020, the Portage County rivalry match against the Ravens 2-6-1, 0-3-0) had fallen to the wayside for several years, with last year being only the second time the teams faced each other.
Although the teams are in different conferences, the Portage County rivalry stills runs deep as evidenced by a gritty contest on Saturday.
“We are only 15 minutes away,” said senior forward Kyle Shelhamer. “It is always a good match when we play them, and I am glad we came out on top this time.”
It took the Red Devils only three minutes to assume control, striking quickly to take a 2-0 lead.
Crestwood scored its first goal when sophomore forward Ryder Miller collected a pass inside the box and scored in the first minute of play, followed by Shelhamer receiving a cross from sophomore midfielder Colton Mayle and buried the shot, stretching the lead to 2-0.
On a team that is layered with senior talent at all three levels of the field, Parsons emphasized the impact that Shelhamer has on the Red Devils’ attack, coming on the heels of a missed junior season due to ACL surgery.
“We knew going into this season that it was going to be a heck of a season for Kyle,” the first-year coach said. “We knew he had big shoes to fill. Obviously, Kyle has taken that role and given it his all.”
According to Ravens’ Coach Eric Hedge, those first three minutes of play dictated the match.
“It is back-breaking, unfortunately,” the second-year coach acknowledged. “We have problems scoring as it is and when we go down 2-0 so quickly, it breaks us down.”
Ravenna found some life on a hectic play when junior midfielder/forward Stephen Presley gained control of a loose ball against a Red Devils defender, on the left side of the box near the goal. Sophomore goalkeeper Owen Pausch ventured outside of the net to help his teammate and sprinted back to defend the goal once Presley gained possession, but it was too late, as the Ravens’ junior trimmed the lead to 2-1 inside the 10th minute of play.
Although Ravenna had a response to the Red Devils’ quick start, they struggled to generate offense throughout the match, while Crestwood created from its backline when senior midfielder/forward Isaac Siegner buried a long distance shot just beyond the box over the head of Ravens’ sophomore goalkeeper Johnny Adams, pushing the lead to 3-1 inside the 33rd minute of play.
The Red Devils struck once more as junior midfielder Dakota Powers converted a goal off a nice corner kick inside the 38th minute of regulation, extending the lead to 4-1 at the half.
Red Devils’ assistant Coach Michael Presby praised the Red Devils for their natural creativity, starting from the back line, allowing them to control possession throughout most of the half.
“It’s something that we have been trying to instill all season,” the first-year assistant coach noted. “Building from the back and passing up the field and breaking lines. Saturday was a great showing for how we can do that.”
In addition to pulling away from the Ravens in the first half, Crestwood engaged in some physical play against their Portage County foes. Playing a physical style is something that the team has become accustomed to thanks to the coaching of Parsons’ predecessor Eric Sway, and the team has carried that identity into her first season at the helm.
Although playing a physical game was Crestwood’s strength, Parsons said it had been something they had not fully tapped into until Saturday’s match.
After a home match against CVC Valley Division rival Chagrin Falls on Tuesday and a home duel against Salem on Thursday, the Red Devils will hit the road to face CVC Valley Division foe, Berkshire, on Sep. 23 at Great Lakes Cheese Stadium in Burton at 7 p.m.
Meanwhile, following a home match against Metro Athletic Conference rival Streetsboro on Tuesday and a road duel against Newton Falls on Thursday, Ravenna will take on Ellet in Akron on Saturday at 5 p.m.
