MORROW - On Tuesday night, the Fairmont Men’s Soccer Team traveled to Little Miami High School to face the Panthers in the district semifinal. Fairmont pressed throughout the first half, earning five corners. Luke Davidson nearly scored in the seventeenth minute with a header just over the crossbar. Five minutes later, Freddy Irakoze fired a powerful shot toward the near post, forcing a save from the Panthers’ keeper. A flurry of Fairmont chances followed in the six-yard box, but defenders blocked them all. The Panthers’ best opportunity came in the twenty-fourth minute, when an attacker shot wide of the right post. In the thirty-fifth minute, Aaron Black broke through alone but shot straight at the goalkeeper. Less than a minute later, Owen Graf received a through ball along the Fairmont sideline with no defender in sight before the onrushing keeper brought him down with a hard, studs-up challenge. To everyone’s dismay, the referee issued only a yellow card. Gavin Weaver’s ensuing free kick struck the side netting outside the near post, and the teams reached halftime scoreless.

The Panthers took the lead in the forty-first minute after keeper Carson Dewald mishandled the ball.
The Birds’ defense then held firm as Dewald made spectacular saves in the forty-sixth and forty-eighth minutes and Davidson cleared the ball off the goal line in the forty-ninth. Fairmont regained momentum over the final twenty minutes, switching to a three-man back line and earning four corners. With two minutes left in regulation, Davidson rose above the crowd to head home Weaver’s fourth corner and tie the match. Regulation ended at 1–1, sending the teams into golden-goal extra time.

In extra time, the hosts attacked cautiously, seemingly content to let penalties decide the match.
Fairmont had other plans. In the ninety-seventh minute, Irakoze sent a through ball into the right
channel for Graf, who outran his defender, shifted onto his left foot, and calmly slotted the ball past the keeper for the winning goal. The Birds sent the Kittens home and advanced to their second consecutive District Final.

Fairmont will face Beavercreek High School in the all-GWOC final at Bellbrook High School Stadium this Saturday, October 31st , at 12:00 p.m. Go Birds!