Riverside repeats: Warriors deny Chapin in Class 5A boys soccer title match
Chapin coach Bob Taylor walked down the line, putting medals on his players and offering hugs after Saturday night’s Class 5A boys soccer match.
It wasn’t the result Taylor and the large crowd of Chapin High School faithful wanted as Riverside defeated the Eagles 2-1 at Irmo’s WC Hawkins Stadium. Taylor took solace, however, knowing the effort given by his squad that included some frantic final moments.
“It is always bad when you are second because they don’t want that,” Taylor said of the runner-up medal. “It is a special thing that they just did. It is the 5A soccer playoffs and it is a tough run. We came out of Region 5 and that is a tough run.
“It is always hard because we are upset at this point, and we like to win state championships around here.”
Chapin was trying to win its sixth championship and in its fourth in a different classification. The Eagles’ previous five titles were in Class 2A, 3A and 4A.
It was Riverside’s second straight championship and 14th overall, which keeps pace with Christ Church for third most in state history. The Cavs won the 2A championship earlier in the day with a 2-0 victory over Gray Collegiate.
The title also was Riverside’s last in 5A — at least for the next two years — as the school is moving down to Class 4A as part of the S.C. High School League’s 2022-24 realignment.
“We’ve been building for three years,” Riverside coach Scott Columbia said. “The kids back then brought in the culture and we started building and building. ... Last year we graduated 12 seniors and then this year we rebuilt, reloaded and the kids stepped up and did a fantastic job.”
Riverside took the lead early on Keagan Pace’s 21st goal of the season in the 13th minute.
Chapin appeared to tie the game in the 19th minute on Foster Smith’s header off a throw-in. But the referee called Smith for a push-off on the play.
“We would have liked to see that first goal allowed, but that happens,” Taylor said. “... The referee said (Foster) pushed off and he probably did. A lot of times that doesn’t get called, but it was a foul.”
The score stayed the same until early in the second half when Jorge Moreno scored in the 43rd minute to put Riverside up 2-0.
Chapin got on the board when Thomas Holstein scored in the 47th minute and cut Riverside’s lead to 2-1. It was Holstein’s eighth goal of the season and second of the playoffs.
The Eagles put the pressure on Riverside during the rest of the match but couldn’t break through with the tying goal.
“We played a really good team tonight,” Taylor said. “And I can’t complain about the effort we had. This is a good group of guys and the leadership of the seniors and the captains has been phenomenal all year.
“And for us to be under so much duress the first half and for us to put a lot of pressure in the end showed the character of these guys.”
2022 SCHSL SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP SCORES, SCHEDULE
At Irmo High School
Friday
Class 3A Girls: Oceanside Collegiate 4, Powdersville 0
Class 3A Boys: Daniel 3, Brookland-Cayce 3 (Daniel wins 3-1 in PKs)
Class 4A Girls: James Island 5, Eastside 0
Class 4A Boys: Eastside 1, North Augusta 0
Saturday
Class A Boys: Southside Christian 1, Palmetto Scholars 0
Class 2A Girls: St. Joseph’s 2, Christ Church 0
Class 2A Boys: Christ Church 2, Gray Collegiate 0
Class 5A Girls: Wando 2, TL Hanna 1 (OT)
Class 5A Boys: Riverside 2, Chapin 1
2022 SCISA SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP SCORES, SCHEDULE
Saturday
At Hammond
Class A Girls: Charleston Collegiate 3, Patrick Henry 2 (OT)
Class A Boys: Christian Academy 3, Charleston Collegiate 2
At Cardinal Newman
Class 2A Girls: Hilton Head Christian 2, Christian Academy 0
Class 2A Boys: Oakbrook Prep 3, John Paul II 2
Class 3A Girls: Pinewood Prep 4, Hammond 0
Class 3A Boys: Cardinal Newman 3, Hammond 0
This story was originally published May 15, 2022 at 12:17 AM.
