A moment of brilliance on a pass from sophomore Noah Ashley to senior Caleb Janous sealed the victory for the Washington School boys soccer team Monday night.
Janous headed in the deciding goal late in the second half to lift the Generals to a 3-2 victory over Lamar Academy in the quarterfinals of the MAIS Class 4A State Tournament. Washington (14-1) advances to the state semifinals where the Generals will host St. Aloysius Thursday at 4 p.m.
Janous and Ashley said the goal was a result of months of hard work and communication between the two teammates.
“We are all friends and we know each other really well,” Janous said. “He made a great pass, and we have faith in each other that we can make the plays when we need to.”
Said Ashley, “Caleb made a great play to score the goal. I feel honored to play for a team with so many great players.”
Washington’s Eli Fratesi scored the General’s other two goals in the game. Fratesi’s penalty kick right before halftime put Washington up 2-1.
Washington coach Jeffrey Giachelli said he was pleased with how his players competed throughout the game. The Generals coach said seniors WIll Giachelli and Janous played a big role in the win by controlling the midfield throughout the game.
“We missed some opportunities, but we played good enough to win,” Coach Giachelli said. “Eli has been doing that for us all season. He does a great job of finding the back of the net.”
Lamar Academy knocked out Washington School in the semifinals of last year’s tournament. Many of the seniors on this year’s General team were eighth graders on the Washington team the last time the school won a state championship in boys soccer.
With two more victories, this year’s squad will be able to leave a championship legacy of its own.
“This group of seniors has been a special group for me to coach,” Coach Giachelli said. “They have always given everything that I have asked. Now, we just have two more games to win.”
