Shawnee’s Matteo Fusillo, left, battles with Howland’s Caleb Rose during Wednesday’s Division II State Semifinal at Bellville Clear Fork High School.
BELLVILLE – Shawnee forward Austin Miller was promoted to one of the team captains just a few weeks ago.
He more than demonstrated why he deserved the honor in the state semifinals.
Miller had a goal and as assist to guide Shawnee to a 2-1 victory over Warren Howland in the Division II boys soccer state semifinals Wednesday at Clear Fork High School.
Shawnee (20-1-1), which won its 17th in a row, advances to the state championship game against the Wyoming/Bexley winner at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Columbus Crew’s Lower.com Field.
“Austin Miller kept telling me he was getting triple-teamed and I told him he had to fight through it,” Shawnee coach Ryan Quatman said. “He’s a monster. He’s getting marked up and he’s getting banged around. He’s going to
get his opportunities. It’s hard to stop that guy. He’s a machine.’’
It marks Shawnee’s first trip to the state championship match, after reaching the state semifinals in 2001 and 2020.
“It’s an amazing thing,” Miller said. “I’m trying to take it all in. It’s the first time in school history we’ve been able to get over this hump.’’
Miller added that getting to join the fellow senior captains caught him off guard.
“It was definitely a surprise,” he said. “It’s an honor to wear the band. It shows I have to lead the team and be a leader. I have to step up when things go wrong and when they score.’’
Quatman played on the 2001 state team and coached the 2020 team.
“This is a dream come true for me,” Quatman said. “I’m so glad these guys get this chance to do something great for the community.’’
Miller and Sam Tenwalde scored for Shawnee, as the Indians built a 2-0 halftime lead.
Shawnee outshot Howland (19-2-2), 6-4.
Shawnee goalkeeper Jack Tenwalde made two saves.
Shawnee held a 2-1 lead most of the second half, but the final 12 minutes got hectic around the Shawnee net.
Jack Tenwalde came up with a save with 12 minutes to play on a close-in shot off the foot of Jack Kenney. A rebound shot came back at the goal, but a Shawnee defender swept the shot away with his foot.
The match was a rematch of the 2020 state semifinal match, when Howland knocked off Shawnee, 3-0.
Shawnee took a 2-0 lead into halftime.
The Indians came on and pushed the attack forward in the first 15 minutes.
The Shawnee midfield continually got the ball up to Luca Fusillo and Austin Miller up front.
With 31 minutes left in the first half, Miller tapped a short pass ahead to Sam Tenwalde.
Tenwalde chipped a low liner just inside the left post and into the net from 15-yards out.
That gave the Indians a 1-0 lead.
It was Tenwalde’s 15th goal of the year.
“He can me a perfect line right into the box,” Tenwalde said of the pass from Miller. “And I finished it past the keeper.
“It really gave us a boost. It told us we are in this and we can win this. We can bring this home.
“I think two years ago we were excited to get here. This year we have guys who experienced that state run in 2020 and think gave us good mental stability for this game.’’
For the next 15 minutes, Howland began surging into the Shawnee 18-yard box.
But Howland wasn’t able to put a shot on the net, sending four shots over the crossbar.
Shawnee then went on the counter attack with 14:40 left in the first half.
Miller got loose 35-yards out. He dribbled in to 19 yards and ripped a missile shot into the upper-right corner of the net.
That pushed the Shawnee lead to 2-0.
It marked Miller’s 38th goal of the year.
“Once you got to the outside, they kind of sagged off,” Miller said. “I was able to let it rip, got a clean hit on it and was able to put it in the back of the net.’’
Shawnee outshot Howland in the first half, 4-0.
Howland scored a minute into the second half off a throw-in by Vasil Gentis, who lofted the ball into the heart of a congested box.
Demetri Gentis flicked it home off his foot from 8-yards out and into the net.
That brought Howland within 2-1 with 39:02 to play.
Now, Shawnee heads to the Crew’s stadium.
“It’s surreal,” Shawnee’s Luca Fusillo said. “I couldn’t say anything better.
Boys soccer history: This marks the ninth time an area boys soccer team has reached the state tournament. It’s Shawnee’s third time (2001, 2020, 2022).
Only one has reached the state championship match, Bluffton in 2019, when it lost to The Wellington School, 4-0.
No boys area soccer team has won a state title.
