JACKSON — What a difference 24 hours makes.
Wheelersburg boys and girls soccer head coach Jon Estep took a difficult loss where his Wheelersburg girls soccer program played like the state championship caliber group it was hyped to contend for in a 3-2 double overtime loss to Worthington Christian in the OHSAA Division IV, Region 14 Semifinals on Tuesday at Zane Trace High School in Chillicothe.
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On Wednesday, however, Estep received the best medicine that he could’ve possibly asked for.
Coaching at the same Division IV, Region 14 Semifinal stage 24 hours later and doing so in a rubber match against rival and SOC II Champion Minford, a team that the Pirates lost 4-0 to on Sept. 17 at Ed Miller Stadium, Estep and Wheelersburg got vengeance as the Pirates got goals from Coleton Schwamburger, Corban Stratton and Zander Conn in a 3-1 victory over Minford on Wednesday evening at Alumni Stadium in Jackson.
For Schwamburger, who helped to get the scoring started in the match, the ability for the Pirates to get the opening half momentum off of goals from not only himself but the sophomore Stratton was critical.
They got their goals off of first half assists from key contributors in Tristan Dunham and Cade Blackburn, themselves major strongholds in Wheelersburg’s return to the OHSAA Regional Finals for the third straight season. Schwamburger scored his 15th goal of 2026 and is up to 39 points for the season, while Stratton posted his 14th goal of the year and has 34 points in the campaign.
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Dunham’s four assists are now third on the Wheelersburg roster, while Cade Blackburn’s first assist of the year couldn’t have come at a better time.
“It’s always good to score first,” Schwamburger said. “We were able to get control with that second goal, and that showed throughout the rest of the match.”
The story for much of the match, however, was the rock-solid play of Wheelersburg’s defense.
Having to replace every player off of a backline that helped spearhead the Pirates’ run to its second OHSAA State Final Four trip in five years, Wheelersburg held Minford scoreless for more than 45 minutes as the backline, headed by senior captain Chase Blackburn and junior All-District honoree Gilberto Duarte among many others, was stingy throughout the evening.
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And when they faulted, which was minimal, senior goalkeeper Caleb Partin was right there to make the necessary stops. Playing some of the best soccer of his career in the brightest of lights and the biggest of stages, Partin stopped five of the Falcons’ six shots on goal to help Wheelersburg along.
“It felt great,” Chase Blackburn said. “It was all about our energy. We knew that if we came out strong and played with a lot of energy, we would be in great shape.”
For Minford head coach Jacob Hackworth, the Falcons continued playing competitive soccer offensively, and had their fair share of chances while converting one off of the foot of Bryson Culbertson early in the second half of play, cutting the lead to a 2-1 margin where the contest stayed for the better part of 25 minutes.
“I thought that we created our fair amount of chances,” Hackworth said. “The ones that we expected to score on just didn’t go in, and on the few chances they created, they found the back of the net. That’s just a credit to them and I wish them all the best. They played hard, they’re representing the Southern Ohio Conference very well, and I’m really proud of them the same as I am our guys. Two really good teams. Somebody had to go home.”
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But Wheelersburg’s stout defense bowed up from there.
“Our goal was to make sure to keep an eye on Colby and their runners that Minford puts up, because they’re down, but they can strike quickly at any time,” Blackburn said when asked about stopping. “We just focused on keeping the energy up and playing strong for the entire half.”
Getting two good runs up its own sideline, the Pirates again capitalized in front after a ball by Carson Estep, which was initially deflected by Minford sophomore goalkeeper Trevor Born, was headed through the far side of the netting by freshman Zander Conn. Both Conn and Estep now have 16 goals each in 2026, with Estep’s helper being his team-leading 11th on the year.
Now in the regional finals for the third straight season, Estep and his crew (16-1-4) will look to make a return to the OHSAA State Final Four. Only West Muskingum (16-2-3) stands in its way.
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“It’s great,” Schwamburger said. “It’s become a trend for us. It’s expected, but it feels great every time. Getting the opportunity to play for a regional championship and to advance to the state final four — it’s awesome. We just got to come out and show up every single time we play.”
Wednesday’s loss, however, doesn’t define Minford’s season. Now 17-2-2 overall, the Falcons graduate Division IV Southeast District Player of the Year Ashton Reeder and six additional stout seniors including Gavin Akers, Teagan Halterman, Evan Richards, Brody McGuire, Miles Conn and Owen Meadows.
“We’re replacing a lot of big players with Ashton Reeder being one of the best, ever, at Minford,” Hackworth said. “Gavin Akers and what he was able to do this season was significant for us, and Owen Meadows started in a state championship. Teagan, Evan, Brody and Miles were all very, very important to us as well. We needed each one of them to get to this point. That experience is hard to come by. It’s up to the next wave of kids to fill those shoes, and at a program like Minford, we hope that’s what happens. It’s what is supposed to happen.”
And with significant pieces coming back from a 17-win group that won a SOC II Championship in arguably the toughest soccer conference in the Southeast District, plus a district title on top of that, hope is abound.
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“It’s a really good group, young and old,” Hackworth said. “We’ve got four or five sophomores playing significant roles with Tyce Cron playing a significant amount as a freshman. We’ve got a couple juniors mixed in there. We’ve got a lot to be excited about going into next year. I told our kids after the game, ‘Keep your heads high.’ 17 wins. District Champions. SOC II Champions. Player of the Year. There’s a lot to be proud of there. I just thank them for raising the bar of Minford soccer and continuing the tradition that we have here, and I’m glad to be at the helm of it. I’m already looking forward to what next season holds for us.”
