Boys Soccer Finishes Season In District Semifinals

Oct 26, 2025

The Amherst Steele varsity soccer team lost in the district semi-finals to a strong North Canton Hoover squad last week, knocking them out of the Division 2 playoffs.

Kameron Kadow, Ty Pinto, and Ben Thompson had shots on goal in the first fifteen minutes of the game, but the Comets could not find the net. Aided by a strong wind, Hoover's constant pressure put the Comet defense under duress for much of the first half. Despite a few key saves by Casey Giancaterino, Amherst fell behind by three goals with 38 minutes remaining in the game.

Despite the deficit, the resilient Comets clawed and scratched their way back into the game and never showed an ounce of quit. After a few near misses, Carter Boone finally found the net, crushing a 45 yard free kick to trim the Viking lead to 3-1. When Cristiano Reyes and Boone both went down with injuries, it was another blow to the Comets' chances. But an adjustment to the Comets' formation led to twenty minutes of Steele dominance, as Jaxon Perez and Kadow controlled the middle of the field, allowing their playmakers to work their magic.

Landon Boone had three dangerous shots that almost cut the deficit to one, two of which sailed just over the bar and one of which was saved by the Hoover goalkeeper.

Teagan Debronsky also had a chance denied when he received a pass at the top of the box from Thompson and had his shot deflected out of bounds by a defender. Debronsky then had a second chance go wide after Matthew Hammond found him with a slick pass just outside the 18 yard box.

Minutes later, Hammond broke down a few defenders, cut to his right and fired a shot toward the goal, but it was once again deflected by a Hoover defender.

With time winding down on their season, the Comets pushed defenders forward to try to find more offense. Unfortunately, Hoover responded to the additional pressure with two breakaways against the short-handed Comet defense. Giancaterino was up to the task the first time, coming up with a big one v. one save. But the second breakaway led to a goal, sealing the game for the Vikings and essentially ending the Comets' season.

The Comets finished with a record of 11-5-2, tied for fifth most wins in school history. A special thank you goes out to seniors Noah Clinton, Casey Giancaterino, Kameron Kadow, Ty Pinto, Bryce Reed, Ryan Sutton, and Ben Thompson for their contributions to the Amherst Steele soccer program. It is hard to say goodbye to such a tremendous group of young men and they will certainly be missed next season.