See which teams are moving on to the Titan Classic semifinals

It would have been hard to find more drama in a theater.

The 2018 high school boys soccer Titan Classic began Monday with quarterfinal play, and three Wichita area teams are through to the Thursday’s semifinals. None of them won by more than a goal.

Here is a recap of the quarterfinals:

Maize vs. Bishop Carroll

Hunter Clark hit it sweetly, but Braeden Huslig threw out something sweeter.

Huslig, the Carroll goalkeeper, sprawled to the top right corner of his net with 17 seconds to play and saved a perfectly placed shot from the Maize captain from about 40 yards away. It preserved the Golden Eagles’ 1-0 win.

“I was kind of nervous for the shot,” Huslig said. “I knew he was going to shoot it. Hunter Clark, he’s a good player. I knew he was going to shoot it, right from the start.”

Carroll’s victory over Maize was its second this week after winning 3-0 at Maize on Tuesday. This time, Maize came prepared. Carroll’s only goal came from a corner kick that center back Brad Huslig got his head to. Brad gave credit to Maize for sharpening up from the first meeting.

“Different team today,” he said. “They had a lot more energy.”

Newton vs. Kapaun Mt. Carmel

Corbin Mai had been denied too many times.

Mai, Kapaun’s senior striker, was in on goal at least eight times Monday and hadn’t buried any of his chances. He hit the post, the crossbar and the Newton goalkeeper but missed the net until he got his right foot on the end of a cross with about 20 mintues left in the second half. His goal gave the Crusaders a 1-0 win.

“It felt good to get a goal after all those shots,” Mai said. “The keeper got a couple good blocks on my shots. I was surprised. I thought they were going in.”

Coach Anthony Cantele said Mai’s finishing is his best quality, and that is what Kapaun relies on with him. So it was good to see him finally break through and get a well-deserved goal, Cantele said.

After a 3-1 loss to Derby on Thursday, the win was Kapaun’s first of 2018, coming off a third-place finish at the Class 5A tournament.

“It’s kind of relieving I guess right now,” Cantele said. “We had a lot of opportunities that we didn’t finish, but regardless of who you’re playing, when you’re in a 1-0 situation, you try to hold on there to the end.”

East vs. Dodge City

It was dusted in four minutes.

Dodge City beat East 3-0 in their quarterfinal. The Red Demons were already up two after four minutes after a couple of balls rumbled around the 6-yard box and were put away.

Dodge City pushed its defensive line back and welcomed the East attack, but the Aces couldn’t break through the wall.

Derby vs. Manhattan

The most dramatic game of the day was saved for last.

Derby and Manhattan traded a pair of goals in regulation, and the Indians netted another with about three mintues to play, but it was waved offside. After a 1-1 regulation, goalkeeper AJ Howard became the hero. Derby beat Manhattan 4-3 in penalty kicks.

With the win, Derby is 4-0 with wins over Northwest, Andover, 5A third-place finisher Kapaun and 6A third-place finisher Manhattan. The Panthers are rolling.

“Didn’t exactly expect all that,” coach Paul Burke said. “We’re playing well early in the season. We’re rolling off a good summer. We’re just clicking at the right time I guess. That’s simply what it is: Playing good soccer.”

Derby’s regulation goal came on a free kick strike from Francisco Vielmas that wrapped around the right side of the Manhattan wall and froze the Indians goalkeeper. Vielmas said the results are coming from their chemistry through the middle of the field.

“Some of us have been playing together since we were young,” he said. “Seniors like us are stepping up, and the communication on the field has been great.”

Semifinal Games

Bishop Carroll vs. Kapaun Mt. Carmel - 6 p.m. Thursday at Wichita South (East field)

Dodge City vs. Derby - 6 p.m. Thursday at Wichita South (Turf field)

Consolation Games

Maize vs. Newton - 4 p.m. Thursday at Wichita South (West field)

Wichita East vs. Manhattan - 4 p.m. Thursday at Wichita South (East field)

This story was originally published September 3, 2018 at 7:07 PM.