Rams stop Warriors, advance to district final

LEXINGTON — What started as a slugfest turned into a second-half pitcher’s duel on a blustery Monday evening.

Madison scored a pair of goals in the opening 10 minutes then held on for a 2-1 win over Richland County rival Ontario in a Division II district semifinal match at Lexington High School.

The second-seeded Rams (14-3-2) will play top-seeded Lexington for a district title at 6 p.m. Thursday at a site to be determined. The Minutemen pounded No. 5 seed Edison 8-0 in the other district semifinal Monday at Clyde High School.

Madison got on the board when high-scoring senior James Wagner took a pass from Nic Stiteler along the right side and sent a right-footed shot past the Ontario goal keeper for a 1-0 lead with 31:02 remaining in the first half. Less than a minute later, Wagner was fouled in the box and Corbin Herr scored on the penalty kick to make it 2-0 with 30:17 remaining in the opening half.

“I didn’t think that we’d get on the board that early,” Madison coach Tim Lord said. “It was nice to do that but sometimes … I’ve seen a lot of games where you get up early and then the other team wakes up and then you’re on your heels a little bit.

“Ontario, to their (credit) did a great job and got one before half and had us on our heels in the second half.”

The Warriors (10-6-3) cut the deficit to 2-1 when Aiden Frankhouse took a pass from Kyle Woods, squeezed off a shot in heavy traffic and found the back of the net with with 4:10 remaining in the first half.

“We just didn’t come out ready to play,” Ontario coach Chris McClenathan said. “I’d like to have the first 10 minutes back.”

Scoring chances were hard to come by as the wind picked up in the second half. Ontario played with the wind at its back and squandered a couple of golden opportunities. With about 12 minutes remaining, Madison’s Gavan Smith cleared a shot from just in front of his own goal after keeper Jayden Hawk had left his line. About four minutes later, Ontario’s Connor McCauley rocketed a shot that rattled the crossbar.

“That wind picked up and we were really on our heels,” Lord said. “At this point of the year we are looking to survive and we made it through.

“I’m glad we didn’t have five more minutes. I was afraid, with that wind picking up, they were right down our throats.”

After starting the season 0-4-2, Ontario was 10-2-1 in its final 13 matches.

“We were young. We had a lot of sophomores,” McClenathan. It took us six games, but the kids bought in. From the very beginning the theme was it’s not how you are playing in August. It’s how you’re playing in October.”

Madison earned a rematch with Lexington, which won the regular season meeting 3-1 in late-September.

“Lexington’s had a great year,” Lord said. “We look to play them tough.”