After playing to a weather-shortened 0-all tie in their previous meeting, both Clarkston and Lake Orion were eager to get back on the soccer field and settle the score.
They got their chance in a Saturday afternoon district final contest at LOHS.
The teams accounted for a six-goal explosion in the second half. Unfortunately for the Dragons, four of those goals belonged to the Wolves, who erased a halftime deficit and went on for a 4-3 victory.
The Dragons played without starting goalkeeper Aram Keteyian, who injured his ankle after practice a day earlier.
Scott Morris filled in admirably, but moving the senior captain to net created a huge void in the Lake Orion defense.
The Dragons did a nice job in the first half, especially containing Clarkston’s most dangerous player, Oliver Kupe.
Kupe registered just one shot in the half, a point-blank opportunity that was saved by Morris.
Meanwhile on the offensive end, the Dragons scored after a nifty move by sophomore Reed Losee set up Andy Miller, alone in front.
Losee split a pair of Wolves? defenders and found Miller for the half’s lone goal, with 18:30 remaining.
‘They played really good defense,? Kupe said. ‘I didn’t have a lot of chances.?
In the second half, however, it was a different story.
Clarkston scored three goals in a ten-minute span to take control.
Jerret Kersten opened the scoring for the Wolves just nine minutes into the half, followed by Kevin Pinkos six minutes later and Kevin Khani four minutes after that.
Khani’s goal came on a free kick all the way back near the Clarkston bench, some 45 yards from the net. The shot found the top left corner of the net, just out of the reach of Morris.
‘I told them to relax, trust themselves and play the game we know how to play,? Clarkston Coach Adam Bican said of his halftime speech.
The Dragons battled back though, and cut the deficit in half on a Derek Schrauben goal, on a corner-kick feed from Bim Ogunyemi, with just under 15 minutes left.
Kupe finally put his name in the scorebook, and the game out of reach, with a goal four minutes later after a nice feed by Khani.
Tim Stonerock scored in the final five seconds for the Dragons to cap the scoring, making Kupe’s goal the game winner.
But Kupe deflected praise to his teammates afterwards.
‘My teammates put their chances away too, and that helps a lot,? he said.
Clarkston advances to regional play in Grand Blanc, while Lake Orion finishes their season with a mark of 7-8-4.
The Dragons topped Waterford Kettering and Grand Blanc in the first two rounds of district action to advance to the final.
Jake Campbell scored the game winner in overtime for LO against Grand Blanc on a cross from Kyle Boyle.