Wickliffe vs. Badger
What: Division III Northeast 2 District final
When: 1 p.m., Oct. 29
Where: South Range, 11375 Columbiana-Canfield Road, Canfield (the Rominger Athletic Complex is directly across the street from the high school)
Records: Wickliffe 15-4, Badger 17-2
What’s next: Winner advances to a regional semifinal Nov. 2 vs. the Northeast 1 District champion at Boardman.
What to look for: The senior-laden Blue Devils’ side has largely been playing together since rec soccer as kids, and they’re not quite ready for this journey to end yet. … Wickliffe is going for its first boys soccer regional berth since its magical 2006 Division III state final run. … With the exception of a couple late-season hiccups against fellow News-Herald coverage area sides Beachwood and Andrews Osborne, the Blue Devils have been playing pretty well, 13-2 since Sept. 1. … The keys to the attack are handed to returning All-Ohio midfielder Colin Casey (25 goals, 20 assists in 2022) to facilitate for himself and teammates. With his match awareness and 1v1 skill, those keys are in good hands. … Shane Williams (18-4) provides pace on the flanks, and Noah Telisman (10-9) has a knack for being in the middle of big sequences this time of year. … With a plus-74 differential for the year, it’s hard to gauge Badger. But 1-0 losses to Boardman and Ursuline suggest it’s a capable side. … What got Wickliffe in some trouble down the stretch was poor starts in generating from the outset of matches. Getting a couple decent looks on frame in the first five minutes would serve this side well.