After scoring close to 40 goals in his prep soccer career and earning district MVP honors in his final season, Signal Mountain's Yuji Steele has certainly left a strong mark on the pitch.
Steele nearly provided heroics in the final minute of Tuesday's 1-0 home defeat to South Doyle in the Region 3-AA semifinals as he slid a shot from the right side of the box that the keeper had to smother up. The Eagles' leading scorer was active throughout the season finale as he put his body on the line on several aerial attempts and runs into the box.
"We knew this game was a win or go home type of deal. We came out here and poured our hearts onto the field," Steele said. "Unfortunately, the outcome was not in our favor, but we can proudly say we left everything out there."
The lone goal came 15 minutes into the match as junior star forward Anestis Tiriakidis scored his 25th goal of the season for the Cherokees (16-3-2). Tiriakidis hammered a shot on the run from the right side of the box close in that ricocheted off the front left post and into the opposite corner of the net for the winning score.
South Doyle brought outstanding pressure into the box in the first half, but Signal Mountain keeper Colten Setzer shooed away several goal scoring opportunities against a road opponent that has scored 103 goals this season.
The Eagles (12-4-1) nearly scored in the second half on a sizzling left-footed shot by Andrew Baker, which still had plenty of heat after being deflected by a defender and into the keeper's chest at the front left side of the goal.
The twin brother duo of Nicolas and Nathan Johnson also created several more dangerous opportunities for Signal Mountain, which simply could not find paydirt against a solid defense.
"Our guys came together as a group and that was because of our seniors," Signal Mountain head coach Michael Goza said. "The players are who make this season a promising outcome. Their efforts and continuity helped us extend our season to this point and I'm proud of their efforts. These seniors set a legacy and built to the foundation of this program by bringing solid effort, caring hard and being leaders."
While seniors Braeden Ray, Steele, Aidan Foley, Cole Jenkins, Harrison Schuster and the Johnson brothers won't play soccer in college, their futures are bright as they are all going on to further their academics in college.
They have set a strong lead to follow for younger standouts such as Marc Bauer, Billy Wooden and Baker, among others.
"My message to the younger guys on our team is to keep working hard and have passion for the game," Steele said. "When times get tough, just grind through it. Believe in yourself and the team and just work together. Soccer has been my passion since I was little and I am so thankful for the experiences and teammates and coaches that I have gotten to be around over the years.
"These are days I will always look back fondly on."
Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com.