Local Sports

Goals within reach for Beavers

CALCUTTA -- Beaver Local’s Kaleb Mays entered his senior season in August with 40 career goals. A few months later, he’s within striking distance of the boys’ school scoring record.

Mays tallied four goals to give him 102 for his career in Thursday’s 8-1 rout of East Liverpool in a Div. IV sectional contest at Pastore Field.

Mays is nine away from tying the Beaver Local career record set by assistant coach and 2005 graduate Shawn Dunn. His season total of 62, which is a school record, is tied for the most in Ohio according to MaxPreps. Cornerstone Christian’s Kolsen Keeper also had 62 entering Thursday’s slate.

“I only had 22 last year and I didn’t really show up this year with a goal of how many I wanted,” Mays said. “It was just senior year and it meant something to me. Every day I wanted to push to get better and better and the goals kept flowing.”

In goal records reported to the Ohio High School Athletic Association, Mays is within eight of tying Monroe Central’s Isaac Knowlton who had 70 in 2020.

“The stats might show I have 62 goals, but before the goal comes it’s the assist. I would not be able to do this without my teammates,” Mays said.

The second-seeded Beavers are 15-2-1 and will host No. 7 Philo on Tuesday in a Div. IV district semifinal. East Liverpool ended its campaign at 3-10-3.

Even though the Beavers beat East Liverpool 7-0 in the regular season meeting, the edginess of the rivalry was in the air.

Mays scored first for the Beavers with 35:03 left in the first quarter, but the Potters played with plenty of energy over the first 25 minutes and it led to a game-tying goal by Greyson Fitch with 17:05 left in the first half.

After that it was all Beavers.

“Beaver Local has a good program,” East Liverpool coach Dallas Brewer said. “Every time we come in here we expect it to be a dog fight. I thought we were doing well in the first half, but they are really good with the ball. They pass the ball really well and their defense is solid.”

Beaver Local sophomore and captain Deacon Brown put the Beavers up for good as he hit from 35 yards out with 9:20 left in the first half. Brown was a freshman captain on the Potters last season.

“It’s nice to see my old friends and to talk to them,” Brown said. “Obviously I needed to win because I wanted that for myself. It was really nice.”

Mays added another goal with 5:42 left in the first half and Cael Dunn hammered home a penalty kick with 1:19 left before the half.

In the second half, Brandon Smith scored a goal through East Liverpool goalkeeper Jacob House’s legs and Mays banged in two more. Lucas Price capped the scoring with a goal with 4:27 left in the game.

Assists came from Smith, Logan Roberts and Brody Nign. Beaver goalkeeper Tyler Johnson had three saves.

Beaver Local coach Joe Zirillo said he hopes that Mays keeps scoring for the Beavers, but he said the whole team is well-rounded.

“Kaden is a great goal scorer and great player for us but we have talent all over from the outside mids, center mids, for our central defensive mids and our strong back line. It takes all of them and they show it,” Zirillo said.

Zirillo said he did not know much about Philo, but on the other side of the bracket is No. 3 seed St. Clairsville and No. 4 seed Coshocton. The Beavers beat St. Clairsville 5-2 earlier in the season.

MATCH NOTES

• Beaver Local lost senior goalie Cole Long to a broken arm earlier this season. Long is also a state-qualifying swimmer for Beaver Local.

“My first thought when he broke his arm is I hope it won’t screw up his swimming,” Zirillo said. “He should be ok for that hopefully.”