Rootstown boys soccer is heading to the state tournament for the first time ever, punching their ticket with a thrilling 4-3 overtime victory over Open Door Christian. This wasn’t just any win, it was a wild regional final that saw the Rovers let a two-goal lead slip before striking back in the 86th minute to claim their historic state berth. “It was freaking awesome,” said Rovers coach Charlie Voth, celebrating with his team. “It feels so good for these kids.”
The Deadly Duo Delivers
The final 15 minutes of regulation had been brutal for Rootstown, watching their 2-0 lead disappear. The first five minutes of overtime didn’t offer much relief either. But with players like Zach Pastor and Sam Textor on the field, a goal is always on the horizon. And in the 86th minute, the “deadly duo” struck for the final, decisive time. The game-winning counter started with Brayden Dougherty passing to fellow senior Tycho Smolk, who then found Pastor. Pastor quickly sent the ball forward, leading the speedy Textor up the right side. Textor won the race to the ball, got inside his defender and the box, and blasted home his 22nd goal of the season. “Me and Sam, we have a lot of chemistry together up top,” Pastor said. “Even in the short time in preseason, we were working great together. We had a lot of goals in just a short number of games. And I have full faith in Sam, that getting him the ball, it’ll really pay off.”
From Back Post Beauty to Overtime Heroics
This regional championship game had all the drama you could ask for. Rootstown opened the scoring with a beauty: Pastor blasted a free kick across the box and fellow senior Caleb Fillmore headed it home by the back post. Fillmore, a center back, noted, “Sometimes they don’t expect the center back to come up and be a threat. I just saw it and watched it in. That was my first header goal ever.” Open Door star Brayden Bendik knotted the score roughly 12 minutes later, but Pastor put Rootstown back in front at the half, finding Textor for the first time in the 37th minute. Pastor, known primarily as a scorer, showed his versatility with three assists in this huge victory. Coach Voth praised Pastor’s development, saying, “This year, he got more strength and he can see the field and seeing the field is everything.”
The Rovers looked to have the game in hand when junior Dylan Boland fired a shot into the far right side of the net in the 51st minute, making it 3-1. But the Patriots fought back hard. The dangerous Bendik struck again on a beautiful slashing run in the 67th minute, and freshman Flynn Yoho blasted the tying goal off a perfectly placed cross in the 79th minute. What an emotional rollercoaster! Textor, who had only 12 career goals before his senior season, talked about his breakout year, crediting offseason work. “I felt like I was getting pushed off the ball way too easily,” Textor said. “So I started getting in the gym, and, yeah, it’s paid off pretty well. I was also just working with the ball all the time… so all around just constant work in the offseason, and, yeah, I was waiting for this moment my whole life.”
This regional championship win, with all its wild swings, is clearly a moment these Rootstown Rovers will never forget. They’ve earned that state berth, a first for the program, and it’s safe to say they’re ready to show what that “freaking awesome” feeling is all about on the biggest stage.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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