The boys soccer team was not about to see a repeat of the past four years. Once again, in the quarterfinals, the team faced Marquette in a match that would decide who would be in the final four of the state competition. The seniors, like Andrew Keller, were feeling the heat of the match.

“There was a lot of pressure. There was even a lot of pressure last year, but all the pressure combined; it’s senior year and it could’ve been my last game, and we just put it all on the line,” Keller said.

And put it all on the line, the team did. Knowing its competitor, the boys were planning on a bit of a challenge.

“We’ve played them before, we know what they can do. They’re a tough team and we knew they were going to take it to us, but we only had one goal in mind, to win,” Keller said.

About 15 minutes in, junior Coleton Brown put the ball in the net, putting the boys in the lead with a score 1-0. The team’s confidence built and continued to build after junior Kyle Setchfield was able to keep the lead going with a second goal for the team; however, Marquette was not going down without a fight. Marquette attempted a comeback with its goal against the Spartans, which affected the mood of both teams on the field. Brown, with the rest of the team, was committed to holding his ground and keeping the lead.

“We just got it done. Ever since the beginning everyone has been telling us we can’t go this far, we aren’t gonna make it this far but we did. And we’re already this far, so we might as well go all the way. We definitely went in for the win,” Brown said.

The team’s strategy to stay in the tournament, according to Setchfield, has been to mimic the strategy of some famous Spanish teams. The strategy has almost become a mantra for the team.

“Our main strategy is tiki taka. Tiki taka is a form of soccer that you play with quick one-to-two touches and moving the ball around the field real fast. It’s for possessing the ball and connecting passes. Starting districts we were talking about it, and it has been the strategy for a lot of our district games. Just saying tiki taka, too,” Setchfield said.

With one more win under its belt, the team is set up to face Lee’s Summit at 6 p.m. on Friday at Blue Springs South High School. The team has previously played and defeated their next opponent, so the plan is clear and simple.

“We gotta go out there and do it again,” Setchfield said.