Grain Valley boys soccer team knocked out of Missouri Class 3 playoffs in semifinals

The program is less than a decade in age, but the Grain Valley boys soccer team on Friday appeared in its second straight semifinals.

The next feat — a state championship — will have to wait.

Carthage ended the Eagles’ bid for the first state title in school history with a 3-0 result on Friday in the Missouri Class 3 semifinals at the World Wide Technology Soccer Park in Fenton, Mo.

Grain Valley will play in the third-place game at noon Saturday.

“We really came in with the feeling that we could do something special and go farther than we ever have,” Grain Valley senior Alex Thiessen said. “To go out this way right now, it’s pretty bitter.”

Carthage junior forward Elder Reyes was the antagonist on Friday, scoring all three goals. The final tally was the centerpiece of the three, when he collected a rebound off his own shot and headed the ball into the net.

That was more than enough to overwhelm Grain Valley, which was not credited with a shot on goal.

The Eagles, 18-7, tied in the third-place match last season.

“I don't know what it is about this place. I don’t think we showed (who we are),” Grain Valley coach Tyler Nichol said. “The team you just watched play, that’s not the team we’ve been for the past two months.”

The Eagles made a habit of winning close games down the stretch. All four postseason victories came by either a one-goal margin or via penalty kicks.

But Grain Valley fell behind late in the first half on a bit of a fluky goal from Reyes, who added his second tally 6 minutes into halftime. Grain Valley was unable to answer.

The Eagles’ final chance to respond comes in Saturday’s third-place match.

“We’ve had a (heck) of a season,” Nichol said. “We don’t want to end on a sour note.”

This story was originally published November 11, 2016 at 6:37 PM with the headline "Grain Valley boys soccer team knocked out of Missouri Class 3 playoffs in semifinals."