2014 14th District Championship Soccer Preview
When South Warren forward Fahrudin Dervisevic collided with Bowling Green goalkeeper Ryan Hughes and managed to find the back of the net in the early seconds of a September match, he made Spartan history. Not only had the Spartans taken a 1-0 lead against the state powerhouse, but the program also scored their first-ever goal against the Bowling Green Purples. That’s right. In the teams’ ninth meeting with one another, the Spartans finally broke through, ending the Purples’ streak of forty-one consecutive goals against their new crosstown foe. Did South go on to win the game that night? No, they gave up four goals in the first half and lost 4-1 before later losing the second meeting two weeks later by a score of 2-0. 
However, the attitude had changed. This wasn’t the same South Warren club that lost to Bowling Green 9-0 in 2011 and 7-0 twice in 2012. This was a new team – coached by the same man who used to tutor the team in purple and gold. Tom Alexander came to the Spartan program in 2010 as the school kicked off its inaugural season with its brand-new roster full of potential. Despite some initial success, the Spartans were placed in the tough 7th District with Bowling Green and Warren Central. Bowling Green was on a different stratosphere at the time and Central was just good enough to clip the Spartans in consecutive district semifinals, keeping the club from reaching the region tournament.
The following season, though, things began to change. The 14th District was created in 2012, placing all five Warren County schools in one district meaning perennial power Greenwood would also be in the way of the Spartans and their region tournament goal. At the time the Gators were coming off an unprecedented streak of four-straight region championships, including a state finals berth in 2009. Tough, but Alexander had his boys ready. South started the season 5-1 with wins over Warren Central and, you guessed it, Greenwood. It appeared as if the tide was starting to turn. Although the team still couldn’t solve the Bowling Green riddle (losing 7-0 in the regular season as noted above), they looked ready to compete in the 4th Region. Having swept Warren Central in the regular season and splitting with Greenwood, the Spartans faced off with the Gators in the 14th District Semifinals with a region berth on the line. Full time and extra time were not enough to find a winner and the game went to penalty kicks. Five kicks later and South had earned its first berth in the 4th Region Tournament. 
This brings us back to today. Tonight when the Spartans and Purples take the pitch it will be different. Different from those games in 2011 and 2012 and even different from the first two meetings in 2014. The second-ranked Bowling Green High will set out on a mission. A mission to control the ball on its own half and create chances for any of its many talented players. Senior forward Exodus Bargblor has been a scoring machine with 19 goals, while sophomore Arif Smajlovic has scored 15 of his own. If these two players weren’t enough for an opposing defense to handle, Coach Craig Widener has junior Donald Aviles in his arsenal as well. The forward has already scored 12 goals to go with 12 assists. Needless to say, the Purples are ranked second in the state for one very obvious reason: they’re just good. And may be too good for the Spartans to handle. Widener’s club has won eleven-straight games and outside of a 2-1 loss to Ballard and a tie with Henry Clay, the Purples record is spotless. While the offense has been potent at times, the backline has been nearly impenetrable. Only ten goals reached the back of the net over the course of seventeen games as seniors Matthew Higdon, Matthew Ballard, and Sam Grise helped anchor a backline filled with talent in juniors Blake Cleary, Stone Passmore, and Harrison Spader, and sophomore Chandler Simpson. The defense couldn’t be completely recognized without the play of goalkeeper Ryan Hughes. The junior has posted six shutouts and only allowed six goals.
The Spartans come into their second district finale ranked 19th in the state and ready for more. Led by Dervisevic and his 21 goals, South has won five out of six games entering tonight’s tilt and will look to make it a historic six out of seven. Sophomore forward Israel Cano has tallied 10 goals while senior midfielder Daniel Bolster leads the interior attack with 15 assists. Sophomore goalkeeper Michael Bohnlein will look to add one more clean sheet to his tally against arguably the toughest offense his team has faced.
When the referee blows the whistle and lets the Purples and Spartans begin their battle tonight, it will be for much more than an 80-minute soccer game. For the Purples, a win would be an eighth district title in nine seasons and more momentum as the team heads into the region tournament and beyond. But for the Spartans, a win could pave the way for a major landscape shift in the 4th Region. Notice I said “could” and not “would” because the team that goes on to win the 4th Region Tournament next week will hold more sway over where the power in the region lies. However you write it up, there is a lot on the line tonight at South Warren High School. It’s meeting #11 for Widener and his former pupil Alexander. The Purples have outscored the Spartans 47-1 in those meetings. But as we all know, you only need one goal to change the course of history.
