West Liberty edges St. Albert in physical boys’ state soccer quarterfinal

DES MOINES — West Liberty sophomore Juan Mateo was suddenly questioning himself 30 seconds into the second half of the Comets’ Class 1A boys’ state soccer quarterfinal against Council Bluffs St. Albert.

Junior Jahsiah Galvan had just drawn a penalty in a 1-1 game and Mateo had a chance to put his team ahead.

“At first, I was thinking about it, I actually doubted myself,” Mateo said. “I was like, ‘I’m gonna miss.’”

Luckily for him, his teammates have plenty of experience on this stage. The Comets brought back multiple starters from a fourth-place team in 2019 and convinced Mateo he was ready for this moment.

“My teammates and my brother (Joshua) were giving me motivation so that made me more confident,” Mateo said. “As soon as I took it and saw it go in the net, I was just really excited.”

Mateo’s goal proved to be the game winner as the fifth-ranked Comets (16-3) advanced to the semifinals with a 2-1 win over No. 6 St. Albert (14-7).

“I would not want to be with any other team than this team,” Mateo said. “This team has been with me for so many years, the players that are on this team.”

Galvan drawing the penalty was the response West Liberty Coach Walton Ponce wanted to see after Falcons freshman Brayden Shepard scored the equalizer in the final minute of the first half.

“We’ve been emphasizing that all year,” Ponce said. “The way we start and the way we finish is key. We had a mental lapse there in the last 40 seconds of the first half, but we bounced back 30 seconds in and got that goal in the second half. They listened. They were aggressive and we got that goal that we needed.”

Galvan’s speed and athleticism drew the attention of most of the St. Albert back line. Along with drawing the penalty, he scored the opener when he beat the keeper to a through ball in the eighth minute.

Mateo left the game for a few minutes with an injury and he wasn’t the only Comet to do so. Both teams also were yellow carded twice in a chippy, talkative affair.

“Our style probably wasn’t what we played today but we needed to find a W today and that’s what we did,” Ponce said. “That’s what I told them pregame, whether we play pretty or not, at the end of the day we need to get the W and that’s what we did.”

The Comets will face No. 10 Western Christian (15-1) in the semifinals.

The Wolfpack, specifically Bailey Baccam, spoiled North Fayette Valley’s state debut.

Baccam scored back-to-back goals in the 52nd and 53rd minutes, the first on a scramble in the box, the second a PK, to lead the 10th-ranked Wolfpack to a 2-0 win over the TigerHawks (14-5).