ONEONTA _ Let there be no doubt, nothing at all to question about Oneonta High's superiority among Section Four Class B boys soccer teams this season.
On a breezy but comfortable Saturday afternoon at the National Soccer Hall of Fame fields, the second-seeded Yellowjackets dominated top-seeded Owego in a 3-0 victory that clinched their first sectional crown since 2006.
"We definitely thought it was possible," said sophomore Dan Joseph, who scored Oneonta's first two goals _ the former coming with 24 minutes, 11 seconds left in the first half. "We were looking for three (goals). It's tough. They're a tough team and we knew it. We knew they were going to be tough and aggressive, very rough, and we just came out and took the play to them."
And now the Yellowjackets (16-2-1) await the winner of the Section Three championship game, to be played at 5 p.m. Tuesday at West Genesee High. There, second-seeded Marcellus will play No. 5 Skaneateles in the final. The specifics of Oneonta's Class B state quarterfinal haven't been announced, but it will be Friday or Saturday at a Section Three site.
"This is a good team," said Yellowjackets coach Alex Brannan, whose team beat Owego for the second time in three meetings this season. "Somebody is going to have to play well to beat us."
It's also a squad that appears to be hitting its stride at the right time. Over three sectional games, the Yellowjackets outscored their opposition, 8-0, and allowed a total of eight shots. Goalie Alex Meschutt has three saves in sectionals, including one of the garden variety against the Indians.
All facets of Oneonta's well-rounded game were on display Saturday.
The Jackets scored twice on set plays, one set up by the powerful arms of Matt Arcidiacono on a throw-in and another off the accurate foot of Jacob Joseph on a corner kick. They also scored on a semi-breakaway after four players touched the ball in about a five-second span.
Defensively, they limited Owego to two shots. It's not like the Indians didn't pressure, but every time they played a ball into the box, tall, athletic players such as Ryan Gracy, Kyle McCue and Ryan Graig would send it right back out.
They're so big and they jump so well that Jerry Mackey might want to think about doing some recruiting before the upcoming basketball season.
"We harped all week in practice about keeping the ball on the ground because they are so big in the back and they can win every ball," said Owego coach Jason Luke, who spent a good portion of Saturday's game harassing the officials in a physical game that featured 23 fouls _ 15 on Owego. Luke earned one of the Indians' three yellow cards.
Key, too, for the Yellowjackets was the play of defender Joe Sullivan, who mimicked virtually every move of Owego standout Mike Spadine. The senior forward brought a team-best 24 goals into Saturday's game, including two in Owego's 2-1 win over OHS on Sept. 11.
"We know if Spadine plays well, they play well," Brannan said. "That's two games in a row we kept him off the scoresheet. Joe did a great job today. He's one of the big reasons we won."
Credit the play of Dan Joseph and Arcidiacono as well. Both were instrumental in the Jackets' first two goals.
On the first goal, Arcidiacono took a throw-in from the right side, about 15 yards from the end line. His line-drive throw probably covered 30 yards and brushed the head of teammate Aaron Foreman. It continued on to Joseph, who was unmarked in the middle in the box. Joseph settled it off his chest on one hop, turned to his right and volleyed a low, 12-yard shot to the left-middle of the goal.
"I like to think I (surprise opponents with my throw-ins)," said Arcidiacono, whose throws deep into the box are reminiscent of Scotty Cobstill's during the Jackets' 2006 sectional-championship season. "We usually have a set play where Ryan Graig jumps up and heads it, and then someone is crashing the net, but Dan was there."
Added Brannan: "They were covering Ryan Graig and Aaron Foreman, one of our shortest players, won the header. It skimmed off his head and changed direction and Danny was in the right spot."
Owego (15-3) spent the vast majority of the final 24 1/2 minutes of the first half in Oneonta's end but mustered no quality chances.
One of the few exceptions came when Jacob Joseph sent a long pass from the midfield to Eric Deemer, who was tackled from behind in the penalty box by Owego's Jeremiah Murphy with 5:23 left in the half. McCue took the ensuing penalty kick, but Indians goalie Tyler Spadine _ Mike's twin _ made a diving save near the right post to keep it a one-goal game.
OHS made it a two-goal spread 4:49 into the second half. Jacob Joseph started the play in the midfield. He had the ball near the left sideline and beat an Owego defender to the middle before sending a long ball to Foreman on the left wing. Foreman then sent a short pass to Arcidiacono near the left side of the box. Arcidiacono then flicked a pass with the outside of his right foot to the middle of the box, where an oncoming Dan Joseph scored cleanly on a hard shot to the left side of the net.
"When it came to me, I was just looking to put it away," Joseph said of his 12th goal of the season _ second on the team to Deemer's 17. "I wasn't looking (where the goalie was), but I knew as long as I put it on target it was going to go in."
The final goal came with 7:57 left on the last of Oneonta's 12 corner kicks.
Jacob Joseph sent a high corner kick from the left side to the left-middle of the box, about 15 yards out. Graig leaped and re-directed it with his forehead inside the near post to make it 3-0.
"We practice (corner kicks) all the time and that's what (Jacob Joseph) does in practice," Graig said of his eighth goal and Joseph's team-leading 21st assist of the season.
Asked what this victory can do for the Jackets' confidence heading into states, Graig said: "We obviously had confidence and this is just another foundation. We know how far we can go."
Oneonta 3, Owego 0
SECTION FOUR CLASS B
Championship at Soccer Hall fields
Oneonta1 2 _ 3
Owego0 0 _ 0
2-Oneonta (16-2-1): Dan Joseph 2-0, Matt Arcidiacono 0-2, Aaron Foreman 0-1, Ryan Graig 1-0, Jacob Joseph 0-1.
1-Owego (15-3): None.
Shots-corner kicks: One 5-12; Owe 2-6.
Goalies: Alex Meschutt (One) 1; Tyler Spadine (Owe) 1.
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Rob Centorani can be reached at rcentorani@thedailystar.com or 607-432-1000, ext. 209.
