COLUMBUS — Mansfield Christian coach Jesse Rider stood near midfield at Crew Stadium, the Division III state runner-up trophy in one arm and his young daughter in the other.
The Flames’ bid for a first ever state championship came up just shy in a heart-breaking 2-1 loss to Summit Country Day on a warm and windy night in the Capital city, but Rider wasn’t feeling sorry for himself or his team. Instead, the 2002 MCS graduate couldn’t help but look to the future.
“We know we can build from this,” Rider said. “We’re going to lose three starters and nine seniors. It will be a little bit of a rebuilding (effort) but we’re excited with the guys we’ve got here.
“These guys are going to be better next year than they are now.”
If that’s the case, the rest of the state ought to get used to seeing Mansfield Christian in Columbus. Retiring Country Day coach Barnard Baker certainly wouldn’t be surprised to see the Flames back on the well manicured Crew Stadium turf.
“They’ll be back,” said Baker, who led Country Day to its second consecutive small-school state crown. “They’re young, too.”
Unlike Wednesday’s 3-0 win over Gates Mills Hawken in the state semifinals, Mansfield Christian (21-2-0) couldn’t generate many scoring opportunities against the fast and physical Silver Knights (16-2-4). Country Day controlled play in the midfield, short-circuiting Mansfield Christian’s efficient possession game.
“Summit did a good job of disrupting our midfield,” Rider said. “We didn’t transition very well because of that. We learned a few lessons tonight.
“They were very physical, very fast and very skilled. We probably haven’t faced a team quite like that. They’re a great all-around team.”
Country Day took an early 1-0 lead in the match’s eighth minute when sophomore midfielder Charlie Maciejewski headed a shot past MCS goal keeper Caleb Young off a Taylor Jones assist.
“They were only playing three in the back and most teams play four,” Baker said. “We knew the corners were going to be wide open for us. We said, ‘Keep hitting that corner.’ When we got the ball and dumped it in, that’s how we scored the first goal.”
The bigger field, a three-man back line and Country Day’s speed all conspired against the Flames.
“On the wings they were really fast and on a field like this that is just so big, there’s so much to cover,” Mansfield Christian senior captain and midfielder Josh Cochran said. “We made a risk this year playing three in the back. It’s tough against good teams. When you play teams that are a little weaker and you can keep the ball more, it’s certainly not a problem.
“But when you play a team with a skilled attack and they can spread you out, it’s tough. Speed on a field this big certainly makes a difference.”
The Silver Knights pushed their advantage to 2-0 in the 74th minute of the second half when sophomore midfielder Brendan Jones collected a rebound and rocketed a shot past Young. The Flames refused to go quietly, however, and pulled within a goal when Cochran headed a Samuel Paul corner kick past Country Day keeper Nate Logan in the 76th minute.
“After they scored their second goal, we got together and said we were going to give it all we had,” Cochran said. “We didn’t want it to end like that.”
The Flames couldn’t get anything going in the final minutes as the Silver Knights were content with running out the clock.
Cochran and his fellow seniors were greeted by a standing ovation from the large and boisterous MCS crowd as they collected the silver runner-up trophy. Former coach Ben Stauffer made the 12-hour, 800-mile trip from his home in Jacksonville, Fla., to be there.
“I’m so proud of the kids and the community,” Stauffer said. “The boys were amazing. These fans have a lot to be proud of.”
The medal ceremony was especially emotional for Cochran and his classmates.
“The hardest thing about this was looking around and realizing this is it,” Cochran said. “This is the end of our games together so it’s certainly is hard because we love each other.”
Follow Curt Conrad on Twitter @curtjconrad.
