De Smet Takes State Title in 2-0 Victory Over Oakville

TheSpartans scored two goals in the first 30 minutes of the Class 3A State Championship game and never looked back. They defeated Oakville High School 2-0 to win the Class 3 State Soccer title Saturday night in Blue Springs. 

“(I feel) good, really good, much better than I felt about an hour and a half ago,” said Spartan coach Greg Vitello. “To be able to finish this way is just fantastic. The feeling is awesome.”

De Smet’s Louis Berra scored in the first five minutes of the game with an unassisted goal that soared into the top left side of the goal.

Then, Scott Ladi scored off a corner kick with an assist from Scott Russo 16 minutes before halftime.

The Spartans (25-4-1) controlled the ball most of the half, and entered into the second part of the game with a 2-0 lead.

But a different Oakville team showed up for the second half, playing more aggressively and holding the Spartans scoreless for the rest of the game.

“I can’t say enough again about the way we played in the second half. We made a game out of it the second half,” said Tiger coach Dave Robben. 

The Tigers played without two of their normal starters as Michael Munsell was out with a broken nose and Alex Dieckmann had a leg injury from Friday night’s game against Rock Bridge High School.

“We were sending guys on the field in strange positions, and in the second half, we were still able to put some pressure on them,” Robben said. “That’s what’s been so great about this season and that’s why I’m so proud of these guys."

In the first half, the Spartans played their typical game of shooting frequently. But Vitello, who has been coaching for 44 years, said it was the team’s composure that led them to a win.

“I think it’s their fortitude, their poise, this has been kind of a three or four year progression,” he said. “This is a culmination  of what we’ve been trying to do with these guys for the last four years. I think it’s a team thing. It is an ultimate team thing and they know that, that there’s no individual star on this team.”