Prep Boys’ Soccer- Burlington Notre Dame and Mt. Pleasant are back to their respective Substate Championship games after the Nikes handled business against Danville and the Panthers clung on to win a 1-0 spectacle against Pella at East Lake. Here are tonight’s matchups with the winner earning a spot at the Iowa High School Boys’ State Tournament.
Class 1A Substate 5
Burlington Notre Dame was a late addition to the Iowa High School Athletic Association’s top 10; nevertheless, the Nikes have taken advantage of it by going 14-4 this season with their marquee victory being a home 2-1 win against Mt. Pleasant. Although, Notre Dame has gone a perfect 9-0 against Class 1A foes.
Their defense has been the most stable part of their game when going against loftier opponents, allowing only nine goals in four games. Unfortunately, their offense goes from averaging six goals per game to being shutout in three of their four losses.
Still, Jordan Edgington has played at a different level this season as the junior has netted 42 goals, which leads the state. Tatum Warner has done a nice job feeding him with 23 assists, which ranks third in the state. Jayden Nanthan has played second fiddle to the offense with 22 goals on the year.
Pella Christian entered the postseason losing or tying in five of their last seven contests to enter with a 9-6-2 record. Do not let that fool you as they only played six people in their class and did much better at home than on the road—5-1-2 at home and 4-5 on the road. Nevertheless, a 3-8 record against teams with an above 0.500 record is not exactly motivating.
This is a team that counts on their defense to do most of the heavy lifting as they scored only 36 goals for the year and ten of them were against Centerville—fun fact Edgington has the same number of points as the Eagles do as a team. Elias Keegan is their main scorer with 10 goals on the season to go along with five assists. Being in a tough conference has battle tested them, but could that be a crutch for their ranking?
Notre Dame will have to prove it tonight at 7 pm on the road if they want to make it two straight trips to the state tournament.
Players to Watch: Jordan Edgington (Notre Dame) and Dallas Ford (Pella Christian)
Class 3A Substate 4
Last year, Mt. Pleasant was a pair of goals away from advancing to the Class 2A state tournament. With a good core returning, the team was blindsided with a reveal that they would be moved up one class to 3A. Nevertheless, the Panthers responded by downing Pella, 1-0, in front of the Panther faithful at East Lake Park. It was a confidence booster to say the least,
“You know, we got moved up to 3A this season instead of 2A and that was kind of a punch in the stomach to the guys,” remember Panther head coach Rocco Russo. “But once the season started rolling, they realized, hey, we can play. And we just got to do our job and depend on the guy next to us to do his job and just play ball. And that’s what they’ve been doing all year. You know, these guys, these guys are playing well, and it’s the right time to be clicking right now.”
(Panthers Celebrate a 1-0 win over Pella)
Mt. Pleasant would have loved for the Substate Championship game to be played at East Lake, considering they have not lost at home since May 6th, 2024. Instead of “Defending the Lake,” which has been their mantra throughout the year, the Panthers will have to defend their goal against one of the best teams in Class 3A, Xavier. Coach Russo feels confident his team can rise to the challenge,
“Our defense has been kind of our lifeline all year. I mean, our offense is very explosive this season. We scored a lot of goals this year and our offense has been doing a great job, but that doesn’t happen without a real solid defense. And you know, Aiden Humble, Abraham Cass, Jackson Newman, Isaiah Denning, who just started playing defense two games ago for us, you know, those guys are lockdown defenders. And Xach [LeBlanc] in the goal, I’m telling you, I’ve been saying it for years, the kid is phenomenal.”
LeBlanc has made an incredible 110 saves on the year for a save percentage of 84%. Xavier does not take many shots on goal, averaging just five per game, but they score at an extremely high rate. The All-Conference First Team goalie will be tested, but he will give it his all for his teammates,
“My main priority was just not let my other teammates down, because I know they were hustling. They’re busting their butts off and really running. And I just really wanna continue to be there for them. And if there’s any mistakes made, that I’m there for them.”
The most concerning aspect of the game will be the Saints’ defense. Opposing offenses have tallied only 23 total shots on goal for the season. Quick math will tell you that is less than two per game. The Panther offense, which is putting up nearly five goals per game, will have to find a way to generate opportunities and according to Josh Aguma the unselfish play of Dylan White, who is top five in the state in goals scored and points, will be their edge,
“Dylan is a very good player. He said he’s always looking for those passes. And I always try to say his name because I mean, he’s a very good player, very talented. And he’s like this guy, he’s not selfish. He’s always willing to let you have the ball and go and take the chance. And yeah, he’s a really good player. And I try to communicate with him before the game to tell him I’m gonna do this, so he knows what’s gonna happen.”
Despite the uplifting win over Pella, the Panthers are not ready to call the season over yet,
“… The job is not finished,” said Aguma.
Mt. Pleasant will head to Xavier tonight with kickoff at 7 pm.
Players to Watch: Dylan White (Mt. Pleasant) and Ty Weiss (Xavier)