Mobley beats buzzer,
leads DGS over OPRF
80th-minute score gives Mustangs
2-1 win in playoff-like atmosphere
By Matt Le Cren
DOWNERS GROVE – Dylan Mobley is developing a reputation for having a flair for the dramatic.
The Downers Grove South senior forward has bagged two game-winning goals over the past two seasons, memorable endings which won’t soon be forgotten by those who witnessed them.
The latest came Thursday night when Mobley scored on a breakaway with 12 seconds remaining in regulation to give the host Mustangs a come-from-behind 2-1 win over Oak Park and River Forest.
Was this goal his best one ever?
“Either that one or my golden goal against Leyden last year,” the beaming Mobley said. “My high school career has been really exciting so far. I can’t believe I’ve scored twice to win (games).”
The Huskies, ranked 17th in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, sure can't believe the second one. They thought they would go home with a hard-fought tie until Peter Becht intercepted a clearance at midfield.
What ensued was either exhilarating or heart-breaking, depending on your perspective. The Mustangs made three perfect passes to spring Mobley, who burst into the box and beat charging Huskies goalkeeper Kel Felton for the game-winner.
Becht, who sparked the comeback with his inspired, vocal leadership and dangerous free-kicks that softened up the OPRF defense, first passed out wide to Tommy Wielgosz, who flicked the ball up the wing to Nick Rohl.
Rohl’s feed back into the middle found the fleet-footed Mobley for a fantastic finish.
“Nick just played the ball of his life,” said Mobley, who raced over to the Downers Grove South student section in celebration. “I give most of the credit to him. That was a perfect ball, and I just had to bury it
“(The coaches) put me up top because they think I’m pretty quick, and it just feels good to get the goal at that moment. It was high intensity.”
Even the Huskies had to applaud the dramatic ending.
“It was a bang-bang play,” OPRF junior midfielder Andrew Barkidjija said. “I didn’t play it out far enough.
“They found the forwards, and it was a good one-time pass to the middle, and they beat us. Credit to them for not giving up, and we have to do better to close the game next time.”
For most of the first half, it appeared the Huskies (5-4-1) were well on their way to doing so.
After being outshot 7-1 in the first half, OPRF grabbed a 1-0 lead when junior Cameron Duncan scored off a corner-kick with 38:29 left in the second half.
Despite some furious play by both sides, the Huskies defense led by senior Matt Schiffner, who had made a great sliding effort to block an open shot in the box by Rohl in the first half, and August Gonzalez made that lead stand up for nearly 30 minutes.
But the Mustangs (5-1-3) finally equalized at the 9:27 mark when Garrett Burns broke into the box on the right wing and tucked a 10-yard shot off the inside of the right post.
The Huskies protested to no avail that the ball hadn’t gone over the line. It was one of several plays where mere inches made the difference between a goal and a miss.
Four minutes earlier, Becht headed a Rohl corner-kick off the underside of the crossbar. The Mustangs thought the ball had come down across the line, but the officials said otherwise.
“The team effort was unbelievable,” Becht said. “We knew we were a goal down, but we gave it our all and (got) a great result.
“We never gave up for a second. We just kept our heads in the game, kept pounding them.”
Indeed, the Mustangs outshot the Huskies 20-5. Only five of Downers Grove South’s shots were on goal, but Becht was especially dangerous.
Becht launched free-kicks from 59, 52 and 51 yards in the second half. Felton saved the first two, leaping to tip the 59-yarder over the post, and the third bounced wide of the left post.
“It’s not just the free-kicks with Peter,” Mobley said. “Peter just gets the team going.
“He was screaming at us, telling us we can do this. Peter, Nick, Garrett, the whole team, we were really focused on this one. It feels great.”
These teams had met in the regional finals the past two seasons, with the Huskies winning in 2014 and the Mustangs last fall. This one, played in front of a “Pack the Place” crowd, had a playoff intensity to it, and Becht played a huge role in that.
“What I was telling the guys on the field was just keep your composure, it’s going to come, so keep playing,” Becht said. “Before you knew it, we kept pressing and we broke through.”
But it was far from inevitable.
“I’m really proud of the kids and they way we played,” Downers Grove South coach Jon Stapleton said. “Even at 1-0, I thought we played really, really well. I thought collectively as a team we defended really well, we moved well in the attack.
“You got the feeling a little bit on our end that it was going to be one of those nights and (give) a lot of credit to Oak Park. They defended well.
“They got the goal on the corner-kick in the early part of the half, and they were defending really well. We had a hard time breaking them down. We had opportunities and the times we did the keeper came up big or we hit a post or a crossbar.”
Though they didn’t play each other, the Mustangs and Huskies got to scout each other at the Great Midwest Classic last weekend in Indianapolis. Downers South tied tournament host North Central 2-2, which routed the Huskies 6-0, but much changed since then.
“They played a very different type than we saw in Indiana,” Mobley said. “They really closed down on defense and just played a lot better soccer than what we saw in Indiana.
“They are our rivals, and they played a fantastic game. But once we matched their flow to our flow, we made it happen.”
Three of the Huskies’ four losses have been decided by one goal, including one on penalty-kicks to Lyons.
“We’ve got to start taking these close games,” OPRF coach Jason Fried said. “We’ve had a couple close losses this year against some really good teams.
“We’re close to where we need to be. We’ve got some things we’ve got to sharpen up on, and we’ll be all right.
“It was a tough loss, but Downers South is a great team. You’ve got to give them credit. They did it.”
As evidenced by their trips to Indianapolis, both sides embrace the challenge of playing tough opponents, which is why Stapleton and Fried added this game to their schedules.
“I think Jason and I recognized that we both respect each other’s programs and the quality we’re going to get,” Stapleton said. "This is a playoff atmosphere. You could feel it tonight.
“This is what both of envisioned for a game in September. It will prepare you a little bit for the next step.”
The Huskies recognize that.
“We’re improving every day,” Barkidjija said. “I’m so pleased with where we are.
“We’re not going to let this slow us down. We’re going to keep getting better. And we’ll learn from our mistakes, and we’ll go from there. Hopefully we’ll be (playing) our best soccer in October.”
Starting lineups
Oak Park and River Forest
GK Kel Felton
D Matt Schiffner
D August Gonzalez
D Nick Humbert
M Sam Menzies
M Flynn Sheehan
M James McGuire
M Andrew Barkidjija
F Ethan Haussmann
F John Menzies
F Cameron Duncan
Downers Grove South
GK Parker Smith
D Max Schmidt-Bailey
D Adam Chaplin
D Jack Regg
D Luke Holzman
M James David
M Peter Becht
F Nick Rohl
F Ian Wisniewski
F Garrett Burns
F Dylan Mobley
Man of the Match – Dylan Mobley, F, Downers Grove South
leads DGS over OPRF
80th-minute score gives Mustangs
2-1 win in playoff-like atmosphere
By Matt Le Cren
DOWNERS GROVE – Dylan Mobley is developing a reputation for having a flair for the dramatic.
The Downers Grove South senior forward has bagged two game-winning goals over the past two seasons, memorable endings which won’t soon be forgotten by those who witnessed them.
The latest came Thursday night when Mobley scored on a breakaway with 12 seconds remaining in regulation to give the host Mustangs a come-from-behind 2-1 win over Oak Park and River Forest.
Was this goal his best one ever?
“Either that one or my golden goal against Leyden last year,” the beaming Mobley said. “My high school career has been really exciting so far. I can’t believe I’ve scored twice to win (games).”
The Huskies, ranked 17th in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, sure can't believe the second one. They thought they would go home with a hard-fought tie until Peter Becht intercepted a clearance at midfield.
What ensued was either exhilarating or heart-breaking, depending on your perspective. The Mustangs made three perfect passes to spring Mobley, who burst into the box and beat charging Huskies goalkeeper Kel Felton for the game-winner.
Becht, who sparked the comeback with his inspired, vocal leadership and dangerous free-kicks that softened up the OPRF defense, first passed out wide to Tommy Wielgosz, who flicked the ball up the wing to Nick Rohl.
Rohl’s feed back into the middle found the fleet-footed Mobley for a fantastic finish.
“Nick just played the ball of his life,” said Mobley, who raced over to the Downers Grove South student section in celebration. “I give most of the credit to him. That was a perfect ball, and I just had to bury it
“(The coaches) put me up top because they think I’m pretty quick, and it just feels good to get the goal at that moment. It was high intensity.”
Even the Huskies had to applaud the dramatic ending.
“It was a bang-bang play,” OPRF junior midfielder Andrew Barkidjija said. “I didn’t play it out far enough.
“They found the forwards, and it was a good one-time pass to the middle, and they beat us. Credit to them for not giving up, and we have to do better to close the game next time.”
For most of the first half, it appeared the Huskies (5-4-1) were well on their way to doing so.
After being outshot 7-1 in the first half, OPRF grabbed a 1-0 lead when junior Cameron Duncan scored off a corner-kick with 38:29 left in the second half.
Despite some furious play by both sides, the Huskies defense led by senior Matt Schiffner, who had made a great sliding effort to block an open shot in the box by Rohl in the first half, and August Gonzalez made that lead stand up for nearly 30 minutes.
But the Mustangs (5-1-3) finally equalized at the 9:27 mark when Garrett Burns broke into the box on the right wing and tucked a 10-yard shot off the inside of the right post.
The Huskies protested to no avail that the ball hadn’t gone over the line. It was one of several plays where mere inches made the difference between a goal and a miss.
Four minutes earlier, Becht headed a Rohl corner-kick off the underside of the crossbar. The Mustangs thought the ball had come down across the line, but the officials said otherwise.
“The team effort was unbelievable,” Becht said. “We knew we were a goal down, but we gave it our all and (got) a great result.
“We never gave up for a second. We just kept our heads in the game, kept pounding them.”
Indeed, the Mustangs outshot the Huskies 20-5. Only five of Downers Grove South’s shots were on goal, but Becht was especially dangerous.
Becht launched free-kicks from 59, 52 and 51 yards in the second half. Felton saved the first two, leaping to tip the 59-yarder over the post, and the third bounced wide of the left post.
“It’s not just the free-kicks with Peter,” Mobley said. “Peter just gets the team going.
“He was screaming at us, telling us we can do this. Peter, Nick, Garrett, the whole team, we were really focused on this one. It feels great.”
These teams had met in the regional finals the past two seasons, with the Huskies winning in 2014 and the Mustangs last fall. This one, played in front of a “Pack the Place” crowd, had a playoff intensity to it, and Becht played a huge role in that.
“What I was telling the guys on the field was just keep your composure, it’s going to come, so keep playing,” Becht said. “Before you knew it, we kept pressing and we broke through.”
But it was far from inevitable.
“I’m really proud of the kids and they way we played,” Downers Grove South coach Jon Stapleton said. “Even at 1-0, I thought we played really, really well. I thought collectively as a team we defended really well, we moved well in the attack.
“You got the feeling a little bit on our end that it was going to be one of those nights and (give) a lot of credit to Oak Park. They defended well.
“They got the goal on the corner-kick in the early part of the half, and they were defending really well. We had a hard time breaking them down. We had opportunities and the times we did the keeper came up big or we hit a post or a crossbar.”
Though they didn’t play each other, the Mustangs and Huskies got to scout each other at the Great Midwest Classic last weekend in Indianapolis. Downers South tied tournament host North Central 2-2, which routed the Huskies 6-0, but much changed since then.
“They played a very different type than we saw in Indiana,” Mobley said. “They really closed down on defense and just played a lot better soccer than what we saw in Indiana.
“They are our rivals, and they played a fantastic game. But once we matched their flow to our flow, we made it happen.”
Three of the Huskies’ four losses have been decided by one goal, including one on penalty-kicks to Lyons.
“We’ve got to start taking these close games,” OPRF coach Jason Fried said. “We’ve had a couple close losses this year against some really good teams.
“We’re close to where we need to be. We’ve got some things we’ve got to sharpen up on, and we’ll be all right.
“It was a tough loss, but Downers South is a great team. You’ve got to give them credit. They did it.”
As evidenced by their trips to Indianapolis, both sides embrace the challenge of playing tough opponents, which is why Stapleton and Fried added this game to their schedules.
“I think Jason and I recognized that we both respect each other’s programs and the quality we’re going to get,” Stapleton said. "This is a playoff atmosphere. You could feel it tonight.
“This is what both of envisioned for a game in September. It will prepare you a little bit for the next step.”
The Huskies recognize that.
“We’re improving every day,” Barkidjija said. “I’m so pleased with where we are.
“We’re not going to let this slow us down. We’re going to keep getting better. And we’ll learn from our mistakes, and we’ll go from there. Hopefully we’ll be (playing) our best soccer in October.”
Starting lineups
Oak Park and River Forest
GK Kel Felton
D Matt Schiffner
D August Gonzalez
D Nick Humbert
M Sam Menzies
M Flynn Sheehan
M James McGuire
M Andrew Barkidjija
F Ethan Haussmann
F John Menzies
F Cameron Duncan
Downers Grove South
GK Parker Smith
D Max Schmidt-Bailey
D Adam Chaplin
D Jack Regg
D Luke Holzman
M James David
M Peter Becht
F Nick Rohl
F Ian Wisniewski
F Garrett Burns
F Dylan Mobley
Man of the Match – Dylan Mobley, F, Downers Grove South
