Prairie dominates substate final a year after falling via own goal

CEDAR RAPIDS - Streaking down the right side of the field early in the first half of a Class 3A substate final, Cedar Rapids Prairie's Matt Walter danced around a defender and sent a shot flying at the goal.

It hit the post of the Cedar Rapids Kennedy goal and flew out of bounds. Less than 45 seconds later, he was in the exact same situation. This time, he didn't miss. Stopping to celebrate for a second, this goal was a relief, a weight off his shoulders.

Last year, in the substate final game against Cedar Rapids Washington, Walter had an own goal late in the game, which the Hawks lost 1-0.

Against the Cougars, there was no such letdown. Prairie, in fact, dominated the game end-to-end, winning 3-0.

'Hitting that shot felt awesome, 10, maybe 100 times better than the goal last year at substate,” Walter said. 'But it all starts with my team.”

The Hawks advance to the boys' state soccer tournament for just the second time in school history. A trip in 2015 lasted just one day as Prairie was knocked out by eventual state runner-up Ankeny Centennial, 2-0.

This time, the Hawks will enter the tournament as the favorite. Undefeated (19-0) and ranked No. 1 in Class 3A, they looked every bit of both against a good Kennedy squad.

Prairie's forwards and midfielders danced and jived around the Cougar (11-5) defenders with ease, looking extremely comfortable. The Hawk attacks started early and never really let up.

Walter's goal, his 15th of the season, was followed by a strike from sophomore forward Mateaus Lewis. A somewhat strange goal, Lewis got the ball in midair from Caleb Halleran - who was credited with an assist - and sent it in off the side of his upper leg.

It certainly wasn't a fluke, however, as Prairie was able to find weak points in the Kennedy backline and exploit them throughout the game. The Cougars rarely had the ball on the Hawks' side of the field for most of the first half and didn't really threaten much of the period.

'We wanted to score early and we did that,” Prairie head coach Curt Lewis said. 'We wanted them to press and maybe opened the game up. Everything we wanted to do we were able to do today.”

The final goal of the game came on a penalty kick early in the second half. Midfielder Joel Collett snuck one by Kennedy keeper Nathaniel Sheeley to add insurance.

'Today and tomorrow we'll celebrate this, but on Monday it's back to work,” Walter said. 'We're going for the title. We want the title. We want to finish this season undefeated.”

l Comments: jordan.hansen@thegazette.com