Xavier drills Heelan, back to finals

See more photos here.

CEDAR RAPIDS - This has been about making Cedar Rapids Xavier relevant again.

Maybe relevant is too strong of a word. It's not like the Saints have ever been slouches.

But it has been four whole years since the school won a boys' state soccer championship. And when the girls' program at the school seems to win it all every year, you start to get a complex.

“Xavier girls' soccer is just huge. They've won it five straight years,” said Xavier captain Charlie Bales after his team smacked Sioux City Heelan, 5-0, in a Class 2A state tournament semifinal Friday afternoon at Cownie Park. “Our boys' program was big. Right when us seniors got to Xavier, it has seemed to drop off. We're looking to put us back on top again.”

Another performance like this one ought to do it. Xavier (16-3) plays Mississippi Valley Conference parochial rival Dubuque Wahlert (16-2) today at 2:30 for that elusive title.

It's a rematch of a regular-season encounter the Saints won, 4-3.

“I wouldn't be opposed to having the same score again,” said Xavier Coach Amir Hadzic.

Neither would his team. Anything but a loss in penalty would probably suffice.

That's the way the Saints have had their season ended the last three years.

“We definitely want to end the drought,” said Xavier midfielder Michael Tessmer. “Coach has said just think back to the years where we've been known as a soccer power. Just prove that (again) to everybody. Win that state title.”

Tessmer scored twice to help the Saints win in a rout. He made a long undefended run down the right side and drilled a shot into the back of the net with 25 seconds left in the first half to put Xavier up, 2-0.

“I was very surprised by that,” Tessmer said. “I'll take it, though. The open space.”

Bales got Xavier's first goal, his team-leading 21st. An own goal made it 3-0 early in the second half, with Tessmer and Chad Gilmer adding insult to injury.

Heelan ended its season 15-4-1.

“I talked to the team before the game and told them we needed to come out strong and win all the balls out of the air,” Bales said. “I thought we did that really well. We came out and set the (tone) right off the bat.”

Here's a short video interview with Tessmer: