O’Hara defeats St. Francis Borgia, advances to Missouri Class 2 soccer championship

In one of his first acts as the O’Hara High School boys soccer coach, Dirk Lawson took his team across the state to play in the St. Louis Varsity Soccer Showcase.

In the final game of the July preseason tournament, Missouri Class 2 defending state champion Perryville handed the Celtics a 2-0 defeat.

“Gentlemen, we’ll see those guys again,” Lawson recalled telling his O’Hara players after the match.

He was right, and the second chance will include bigger stakes — the Missouri Class 2 state championship.

O’Hara defeated St. Francis Borgia 1-0 in the Class 2 state semifinals Friday at the World Wide Technology Soccer Park in Fenton, Mo.

The Celtics, 21-7, will play Perryville, 24-4, for the state title at 4 p.m. Saturday. O’Hara is seeking its first state title.

“We’re going to have our work cut out for us, but that’s how you want it,” Lawson said in a phone interview Friday. “You have to play the best to be the best.”

It will be the fourth straight state-ranked opponent for O’Hara, which defeated Pembroke Hill and St. Pius X to reach the Final Four. Those matches featured high-scoring games.

Not this one.

On a play sparked by a corner kick in the 61st minute, O’Hara junior Austin Diaz broke a scoreless tie when he redirected a shot from his brother, senior Nick Diaz, into the back of the net. The defense ensured it would be the game’s only goal. Zach Bolger made three saves.

“It was a play we practice every day all year,” Lawson said of the corner kick that led to the goal. “The boys ran it to perfection.”

This story was originally published November 6, 2015 at 8:00 PM with the headline "O’Hara defeats St. Francis Borgia, advances to Missouri Class 2 soccer championship."