To win a state championship, you need some players who are willing to be the guy that helps the guy that helps the guy who makes game-changing plays.
Jake Paulson was exactly that guy for Western Albemarle boys soccer Saturday.
“He’s tremendous, we love everything that he does,” said Western senior Collin Moore. “When he works hard like he does he’s unstoppable. When he defends like he does, he’s unstoppable.”
Paulson set the stage for both the Warriors’ goals with a setup in the first half and a late corner kick in the second half to lift Western to a 2-1 victory over Blacksburg and, in turn, Western’s second state championship in three seasons.
“I feel like I’m a pretty good playmaker, setting people up,” said Paulson, who had four assists in the state semifinal. “Being able to contribute on this stage is pretty awesome.”
A day after Aidan Sinclair unleashed a 20-minute barrage of four goals to open the Warriors’ state semifinal clash with James Monroe, Western had to scratch, claw and fight for both scores against the Bruins and they came from less likely sources than Sinclair, the first-team All-Region 3A West forward. Western took a similar approach early to the semifinal, staying aggressive and creating chances, but they didn’t manage to finish early.
The first goal came with 20:20 to play in the first half, when Paulson flicked the ball forward, Sinclair booted it forward again and Carrington Murphy found it in stride before finishing.
The Warriors surrendered a PK to the Bruins with 24 minutes to go with Cameron Bissell taking it and scoring. Then Blacksburg tried to build on that momentum, taking the attack to Western. They appeared to score the go-ahead tally shortly after the PK, but were flagged offsides on the point-blank shot. After that flurry, the match seemed destined for overtime, much like the state final that two programs locked horns in in 2014 when the squads’ seniors were sophomores.
But Paulson helped cut that destiny short, lifting a corner kick near the far post with under 14 minutes to play.
“I know a spot that it’s supposed to be there, sort of the back corner of the six-yard line and that’s where I was aiming,” Paulson said. “It was right there. It was sweet.”
The ball found Daniel Forsman who appeared to head it. It then ricocheted off the foot of Jed Strickland and into the goal for the go-ahead finish.
“We really picked it up there, the last 20 minutes was really strong, I’m just really proud,” Strickland.
From there the Warriors held on, fighting off a couple of chances the Bruins created late while mostly managing to hold them in check in the midfield. Time eventually expired, setting off a wild celebration.
Western had to lean on its depth as Moore, one of the Warriors’ senior stalwarts, struggled with a stomach bug.
“It was up to my teammates and they got that second goal when I was actually throwing up on the sideline,” Moore said. “They held in it, they kept with it and they pulled it out.”
They also did without Murphy for a short stretch after a he collided with a Blacksburg player near midfield. It was a complete team effort by the Warriors, with keeper Jon Whyte stepping up in big spots while the Western defense also came up with big play after big play on set pieces and deep runs by the Bruins.
In the end, the Warriors picked up the win and moved to 4-1 in their last five meetings with the Bruins, the 12-time state champions. The victory avenged the Warriors’ loss to Blacksburg in the Region 3A West final last week. It was Western’s third state title in program history and the first for first-year head coach Milo Oakland who was promoted to the top spot this year after serving as an assistant for several seasons under former head coach Paul Rittenhouse.
The win also gave Paulson, a member of Western’s cross country and boys swimming and diving teams, a third team state title as a senior.
“It could not get any better, this is a perfect way to go out,” Paulson said. “We have such a great graduating class, 14 seniors on the team this year. We had such great leadership and passion to get things done, it was awesome.”
They had guys like Paulson and White and Whyte and Forsman and Will Thomas who were willing to fill their roles. Willing to do whatever Western needed. That willingness is why the Warriors are hoisting another trophy and why 14 seniors got to end their career with a victory.
