Phillip goal lifts Timothy Christian to state championship
After last year's team brought home the second-place trophy, there was some talk from graduating players that the Timothy Christian returning players better savor that special accomplishment.
As fond as junior Corey Phillip is of the 2008 season, he made sure that this year's team did even better. It was a goal by Phillip - his 20th of the year - early in the fourth overtime that lifted the Trojans to a 2-1 win over Gibault Catholic Saturday night at North Central College. The victory gives Timothy Christian the 1A championship and also gives the nearly 100-year-old school its first state title in a boys sport.
"This is incredible," said Phillip, who scored the game-winner despite being slowed by a knee injury suffered in Friday's semifinal. "One of our stars from last year was in the stands tonight and he was saying that second place was the best we would ever do. We proved him wrong."
But it didn't come easy. The Hawks, a school from the St. Louis area that won three straight state titles before settling for third place after falling to TC last year, scored first on Saturday and for the longest time it appeared as if Matt Reinholz' header with just 2 minutes left in the first half would stand up.
But the Trojans (15-12) drew even and sent the game into overtime after Nathan Middel's hustle play near the back line set up Mike Pizzello with the equalizer at the 74:56 mark. The teams then battled to three scoreless OTs before Phillip delivered the game-winner.
"We're trying to build the program," said third-year TC coach Rudi Gesch. "I'll take a second and a first. We're trying to create a culture of winning."
Mission accomplished.
For the 11-15 Hawks it was a tough loss made even harder to swallow after leading scorer Griffin Wielgus was not allowed to play after receiving a red card on Friday.
"We didn't have our best player, but that's no excuse," Gibault coach Jim Corsi said. "We have a great history of coming up here (to state). But this was a tough one."