By BEDFORD — McConnellsburg senior standout Hoyt Glenn recorded two first-half goals, powering the Spartans to a third straight District 5 Class 1A boys soccer championship with a 3-1 win over Conemaugh Township, Thursday, Nov. 5, at Bedford High School.
"We lost to (Conemaugh Township) my freshman year in the semifinals, and I said to myself that I would never lose to them again," said Glenn. "Here we are. Three times in a row. It's a great feeling."
Glenn, who is a talented 4-sport athlete, opened the scoring, when he banged home a ball in the box off a set piece from a corner kick in the 6' of the contest for an early 1-0 advantage.
The top-seeded Spartans took a 2-0 advantage, when Glenn corralled a long through ball from junior Ethan Lang, then made one move and delivered his second goal of the contest less than 10 minutes in.
"I've been asked multiple times to put into words what Hoyt means to our team and I always struggle," said McConnellsburg coach Chris Mellott. "Mostly, what I land on, is he's just a generational talent you don't see very often. On top of it, he's a heck of a player, heck of a teammate, heck of a good young man."
Conemaugh Township (17-2-2), which was playing in its fourth straight D5-1A championship, became the aggressor after that, producing quality scoring chances. With just 54 seconds remaining in the half, the No. 2 seed pulled within a goal. A ball was played into the box and sent home by sophomore Kaden Lepter.
"We had a game plan as to what we wanted to do," Conemaugh Township coach Fred Mainhart said. "We kind of didn't follow it, and then we settled into the game and went back to what we've been coached to do. It was starting to pay off. We got the late goal, thought that coming out in the second half we could build off of it. Unfortunately, we had a couple chances in tight, and we couldn't find it to tie it up. I think that made a difference."
Conemaugh Township remained aggressive in the second half, forcing the play in the opposing end. However, it was never able to break through again, despite some high-percentage opportunities.
McConnellsburg (21-0-1) put the title tilt out of reach with just over 24 minutes remaining. Senior Lincoln McKelvey drove a low, hard shot from 30 yards out to the opposite post for a 3-0 advantage.
In its three title seasons, McConnellsburg has compiled 62 wins to just five setbacks. Mellott has built a monster of a program.
"I think anytime you're able to win is always special, Mellott said of the D5 title. "I think this one probably did have a little extra to it being the third consecutive one, so it definitely feels good."
McConnellsburg entertains the District 3 No. 3 seed in the first round of the PIAA playoffs, Tuesday, Nov. 10.
Adam Ripple is the Daily American sports editor. He can be reached at 814-444-5926. Follow him on X @ARipple_DAsport. Follow Daily American Sports on Facebook and @dailyamericanmedia on Instagram.
This article originally appeared on The Daily American: McConnellsburg claims 3rd straight District 5-1A boys soccer title
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/mcconnellsburg-claims-3rd-straight-district-025535080.html
