By Denise Tucker (For OzarksSportsZone.com
NIXA – Dillon Holesapple corralled the ball from John Goins in front of the Nixa goal and calmly buried the game-winner in overtime to send Ozark to a 2-1 Class 4 sectional victory over the rival Eagles on Saturday night.
With just over five minutes remaining in overtime, Nixa goalkeeper Nick Reid punched an Ozark shot out from in front of the Eagles’ goal, but the ball found Tiger midfielder Goins at the top of the box.
“I could tell (Goins) was looking at me,” Holesapple said, “And right as he played it, their guy came from behind me and stepped up, so I was left wide open. All I had to do was just take a touch and pick a far corner.”
And, with that, Ozark is headed to the quarterfinal round for just the second time in program history. The Tigers will host Jefferson City (24-2), a 4-1 winner over Blue Springs, on Tuesday, Nov. 10.
On Saturday, Nixa and Ozark played to a scoreless tie in the first half, as both teams were looking to gain momentum. Nixa had multiple opportunities to score in the first half, including a shot with about 10 seconds left that Ozark junior defender Justin Baker denied before the horn sounded, but couldn’t capitalize.
“It’s always a good match,” Nixa coach Evan Palmer said of the battle between the two Central Ozark Conference rivals. “I’m just real proud of the guys. They battled. We really felt we had the game in the first half, but we didn’t finish our chances when we had them. And, that’s been our story all year. We just haven’t had that guy who can finish.”
The second half was a different story as the intensity and physicality picked up for both teams, whose cities are just over five miles apart, but Ozark seemed to be on the offensive for much of the half.
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE GAME
“It took a while for either of us to really kind of feel comfortable,” first-year Ozark coach Zack Owens said of the first half. “That first one (the regular-season matchup that Ozark won 1-0), the news report was a tale of two halves, and you know, it was. We told the boys we kind of felt like (Nixa) had us early on. We kind of settled in and had better chances, but we needed it to be a tale of two halves again. We needed to come out more successful in that second half.”
Which they were.
This time, Holesapple was on the giving side of things as his corner kick found its way to Riley Shelton, who headed in the go-ahead goal with just over 13 minutes to go in regulation to give Ozark a 1-0 lead.
But, the good fortune didn’t last for long as the Tigers were called for a foul in the box, setting up a penalty kick for Nixa (15-10) with 11:17 to go.
Junior defender Josh Stoneberger buried the PK to even the score at 1 goal apiece, eventually sending the game to overtime.
The overtime session was a lot like the first half, with both teams fighting for an advantage.
For Ozark, that came with just over five minutes left in OT on a corner kick by junior Jose Ortega that led to Holesapple’s game-winner.
“It’s always a battle; it’s a backyard brawl, so to speak,” Owens said. “We prepared and watched a lot of film. We squeaked one out, 1-0 here in the regular season, and we were prepared for another dog fight. And, that’s exactly what we got, so it was fun.”
The Tigers, who improved to 18-9, will take on Jefferson City – a team they are familiar with. The quarterfinal matchup will be the third time they have faced the Jays this season. Jefferson City took the first two games, 3-0 and 1-0, respectively, and the Tigers are eager for a rematch.
“I think we’re going in the same way we go into every game – looking to win, not looking to play defensive or scared because we know we’re good enough to hang with everyone here,” Holesapple said. “All season, we’ve been defying what people have said about us. So, to play Jeff City – they’re one of the best teams in the state – I think we’re ready and I think we’re going to come out and play hard and give them a run for their money.”
CLASS 4 SECTIONALS
OZARK 2, NIXA 1 (OT)
OZARK 0-1-1—2
NIXA 0-1-0—1
Second half
Ozark – Riley Shelton (assist by Dillon Holesapple), 13:15
Nixa – Josh Stoneberger (penalty kick), 11:17
Overtime
Ozark – Holesapple (assist by John Goins), 5:09
Up next: Class 4 Quarterfinals – Jefferson City at Ozark, Tuesday, Nov. 10
