Creston bows out

GILBERT —Creston’s boys soccer team played an opponent that was better than it Wednesday night.

There was no shame in the Panthers’ 4-0 loss to Gilbert, who came into the Substate 7 semifinal the winners of 10 its last 11 games.

During that span, the Tigers had given up just six goals.

“They play a consistent, fast-paced possession,” Creston coach Lucian Diaconu said. “They lay down plays and I got the feeling that this was a more experienced team than we were.”

Creston laid back with a conservative approach early on, allowing the Tigers to make plenty of touches before the Panthers would press or try to intercept passes when Gilbert passes across the field.

The Panthers had scoring leader Gavin Woods on a breakaway one-on-one with Gilbert keeper Christian Graber in the 12th minute, but Woods pushed the shot just wide of the near side of the goal.

That marked the best scoring chance of the evening for Creston.

The Panthers communicated audibly and consistently at the beginning of the game, but took a collective punch to the gut on Gilbert’s first goal.

In the 21st minute, the Tigers’ Andrew Thatcher lofted a long ball from near the left sideline to the far right post, onto the foot of Zach Smith, who tapped the ball forward and blasted the ball to the far side of the goal and past Panther keeper Payton Pryor. It was one of two assists on Wednesday for Thatcher.

The 1-0 Gilbert lead put the Panthers on their toes.

“We did not pressure enough on the ball on that wing,” Diaconu said. “They did a long cross. Backdoor was open. Boom, shot on goal.”

About 10 minutes after goal number one, Gilbert took advantage of a corner kick, with Thatcher playing the ball into the box and Brian Cruz-Gomez finishing with a header to give Gilbert a 2-0 lead.

“They executed quick. We were not able to organize fast enough,” Diaconu said about the sequence.

Creston had several looks around the goal toward the end of the first half, with Cole Higgins’ long free kick popped into the air by Graber in the final minute of the half.

Kelby Luther also played a long ball from Ben Irr toward the Gilbert goal, but Graber saved the soft shot.

Those were the two lone shots on goal for the Panthers.

The pace was slow again in the second half, but Gilbert played more wide open, and saw its efforts pay off with goals in the 52nd minute by Brandon Bloebaum and in the 75th minute on a free kick by Matthew Gannon.

“When they (Gilbert) were playing offensively, they were quiet,” Diaconu said. They already knew where they had to be and schematics of the game they went really fluid.”

Gilbert recorded its 10th shutout of the season in defeating the Panthers.

“Our defense is unbelievably solid. We rarely make mistakes,” Gilbert assistant coach Michael Hyde said.

Hyde, a graduate of Creston High School in the class of 2007, played under current Panther assistant coach Bob Irr for four years at Creston. He is currently an special education teacher and seventh-grade boys basketball coach at the intermediate school at Gilbert.

Hyde still plays some adult league soccer with the Irrs.

“I still have those ties with Creston so this was a little bit of a bittersweet type of thing, but it was really good to get off with a win and head into Des Moines Christian on Saturday.”

Creston says “so long” to seniors Tyler Peters, Dawson Smith, Brenden McDowell, Peres Reed, Isaac Wignall, Trevor Marlin, Landon Guhse, Gavin Woods and Ben Irr, the latter two being Wartburg signees.

Diaconu was nearly speechless when trying to put into words his thoughts on the seniors. Diaconu will not return as the Creston coach after turning in his resignation several weeks ago.

He said that he plans on keeping in touch with this group of hard workers.

“You get attached,” Diaconu said.

Creston assistant coach Bob Irr’s time as a coach with the Panthers is likely over according to him after 20-plus years coaching soccer in some manner.

“I’m probably done. I finished a lot of seasons,” Irr said. “I’m pushing 20 years that I’ve been around it. I don’t show a lot of emotion but I felt this a little.”

Irr has coached all four of his sons in the game of soccer, Steven, Greg, Kevin and finally Ben. Irr recounted a story about a picture he found recently that had Ben in it. Irr says Ben was perhaps his easiest son to coach.

“Ben is sitting there, he’s got his toys and a blanket and he’s sitting there playing on the field. That’s what he grew up with. He was just around it all the time. He’s been easy. He learned from his brothers.”

Creston finishes the season 8-9.

Creston (0) — Shots (on goal)— Ben Irr 3, Cole Higgins 2 (1), Kelby Luther 2 (1), Gavin Woods 2. Saves — Payton Pryor 8, Ayden Filer 4.

Gilbert (2) Goals — Zach Smith, 19:48 Brian Cruz-Gomez, 9:12 first half, Brandon Bloebaum, 28:37 second half, Matthew Gannon 4:50 second half. Assists — Andrew Thatcher 2, Schuyler Hop 1. Saves — Christian Graber 2.