It was a battle until the end – and the end result was claiming their second consecutive MHSAA District title last Saturday with a win 2-1 over Walled Lake Northern.
“It was a heavy-weight battle,” said Clarkston Boys Varsity Soccer Coach Curtis Payment.
“That is a darn good team. They carried play on us. They were dangerous. I thought it was a big time match to watch fun soccer. I would have been happy win or lose because we played really hard.”
“I have expectations far beyond this, but this was a very good team,” added senior David Posawatz. “All year long they whooped teams and had a good attack. We knew we were the underdog but we knew we could take them. We are just really strong as brothers. We went in, took a challenge and took it head on.”
Walled Lake Northern held control of the scoreboard from 5:39 remaining in the first half when Knight Connor Rutz scored.
Clarkston battled back and with 1:41 remaining in regulation the Wolves broke past the Knights goalie.
Posawatz snagged control of the loose ball and shot it into the net, tying the game.
“He had the best game he has ever played,” Payment said. “He marked Mr. Soccer Connor Rutz out of the game. I can’t say enough about it. He doesn’t want to stop.”
“It was an amazing feeling,” Posawatz smiled. “We needed it. I believed we were going to pull it out the whole time. It was a huge momentum shift and it carried us out to the end.”
Both teams played two overtime periods to decided the winner and the score remained the same. Each team picked five players to go into a shootout and Wolves’ senior goalie Grant Gotaas stepped into the net.
“He was born for these moments,” Payment said. “You wouldn’t even know it’s a big game that’s why he excels at the penalty kicks because he doesn’t feel the pressure. He was born to save PKs, he has been doing it since he was seven.”
Senior Jon Tonks and juniors Alex Komatz and Jared Suddon scored in the shootout Gotaas made two saves and one shot from the Knights hit the post, giving the Wolves the 3-2 edge to win the game and the district crown.
Gotaas added going into the shootout he remained calm and tried not to get too nervous about it.
“Staying calm helps me,” he said. “We have been practicing it for months saving PKs. It built my confidence up.”
He made 12 saves during the game including a penalty kick in the first overtime which could have sealed the win for the Knights.
“It was pretty nervewrecking because it could have won them the game,” he added before guessing right and saving the shot. “I was worried and didn’t want to let it happen.”
The Wolves defeated White Lake Lakeland, 4-0, and Waterford Mott, 3-0, during the district playoffs.
They move on to the regional semifinals against Oxford, who defeated Grand Blanc, 2-1 in their district.
“We know the Oxford team well,” Posawatz said. “We run off our heart, our momentum and our drive. We are going to take it into the next game and put pressure on them. The one thing we do have is heart and it will carry us.”
He added the boys dedicate this season to teammate senior Joey Definis, who was taken out of the season due to an injury.
“Everything we do is for him from now on. The tying goal was for him,” Posawatz said.
“You are not going to find a team that loves each other more,” said Payment. ‘You are not going to find a team who believes more. One second left and we think we can come back that is what is carrying us right now ? belief in brotherhood. It was exciting.”
Regional semifinals is Wednesday at 8 p.m. with the final game on Saturday, 5 p.m. Both games are at Utica Eisenhower.’s Swinehart Field, 47255 Shelby Road, Shelby Township.