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WELLSBURG – The Brooke boys’ soccer team controlled the first half as the Bruins netted two goals against rival Weir. The Red Riders turned things around in the second half, however, the Red-and-Black were only able to collect one goal enabling Brooke to hold for a 2-1 victory Thursday night on Paul “Bud” Billiard Field inside Brooke Memorial Stadium.
“It was a good win for us tonight,” Brooke (2-5-2) head coach Joe Pepe said. “The kids played well. It is always tough when Weir and Brooke play. It is a rivalry. Both teams played hard. We needed this win. We needed this win to keep our morale up.
“Take nothing away from Weir. They played hard until the last whistle.”
Tailing by two goals, the boys from Hancock County found the back of the net near the midway point of the second half to pull within a goal. The boys in white kept pushing for the equalizer, but the Brooke defense was up to the challenge and prevented the visitors from scoring again.
“We got win in in the second half,” Weir (2-4-2) head coach Adam Welsh said. “We have played well in the second half in other games, but we did not play our best tonight. We played a form of soccer, it was not the form of soccer we know we needed to play. We have work to do on some things.”
Senior Jacob High contributed a goal and an assist to lead the way offensively for the boys from Brooke County. Also, Giacomo Dall’omo tallied a goal, while Jaxson Johnson ended up with an assist.
Bronson Pack made eight saves in goal for the victors.
“Our kids never quit,” Pepe said. “They played hard the whole game. I am proud of each and everyone of them.”
Rowan Stevens recorded the lone goal for the Red Riders off of an assist by Drew Thomshack.
Carter Blue made four saves in goal for Weir.
The boys in green opened the scoring less than seven minutes into the game when High scored off of an assist by Johnson to give Brooke a 1-0 lead with 33:18 remaining to be played in the first half.
Then, Dall’omo delivered his goal nearly 12 minutes later off a feed from High to give the Bruins a 2-0 lead with 21:38 left to play before halftime.
“I hope this win builds our confidence,” Pepe said. “We needed this win. It is a win over a rival. I knew what to expect. I have been coaching for 40 years overall and for 35 years in high school. I coached Adam in the youth league, I coached against him when he played Brooke and I was at Weir, and now I am coaching against him. He’s a good coach. He is going to have his guys ready to go when they play their next game.
“Our kids played extremely well. I am proud of all of them. We needed this win.”
Stevens scored to pull Weir to within 2-1 with 20:46 left to play in the game, but the Red Riders were not able to score again.
“I tell you every time, Coach Pepe coached me when I was 5, and he is still doing it,” Welsh said. “I don’t know how much longer he is going to do it, but there is a lot of respect between us. It’s fun. We have battles. I am not the only former player Coach Pepe is coaching against. One of my assistant coaches played for him when he was at Weir. He is a good coach, and a good, good man.”
The Red Riders mounted a late charge against the Bruins, however, Pack and his defense stood tall down the stretch to preserve the win.
“We do have a lot of young guys,” Welsh said. “We had eight freshmen come in this year. We had five of them on the field. We’re building something. We are definitely building something.”
Brooke and Weir have been playing against each other going back to the early 1990s.
“In 1996, I coached Weir to a win against Brooke for the OVAC championship down on the Island back when we were all together,” Pepe said. “I am a Brooke graduate. I graduated from Brooke in 1974. When Brooke got soccer, I wasn’t able to get the job, but when Weir got soccer in 1992, I was able to get the job, and I coached at Weir for 23 years.”
Brooke is scheduled to play Fairmont Senior at 1 p.m. Saturday afternoon at Bridgeport in the second game of a doubleheader. The Brooke girls are set to play first at 11 a.m. with the boys’ game to follow.
Weir is slated to play Cambridge at 1 p.m. Saturday afternoon at home up at Jimmy Carey Stadium.