Staff photo / Brian Yauger Champion senior Grayson Knoske shoots past Struthers goalkeeper Izabella Shetter on Knoske’s second goal of the game.

CHAMPION — For Champion’s four seniors, Thursday’s game against Struthers – win or lose – was going to be their last game on their home field.

They decided to go out with a bang.

A pair of first-half goals from Grayson Knoske set the tone for the Golden Flashes in an 8-0 victory over Struthers in a Division IV, Northeast 4 tournament matchup.

“I think that this group has really come together. We’re peaking at the right time this season,” Champion coach Emily Metheny said. “Coming together as one and just really focusing on the basics and our three fundamentals, which is aggression, possession and team defense, and just playing all together as a whole.”

Knoske’s two goals gave the Flashes a quick lead that they carried into the break, but they weren’t satisfied. Anything can happen in the tournament, and they knew their lead wasn’t safe.

So they stomped on the gas pedal.

“I think they realized this is going to be (the seniors’) last home game win or lose, so let’s make them go out the right way and come out with that one for them,” Metheny said of the team’s second-half spark.

A big chunk of that spark came from the foot of junior Jackie Fields. Fields scored five goals in the second half, including an uninterrupted hat trick in the first 15 minutes. Abby Pattinson also found the back of the net in the second half.

It’s been a challenging year for the Flashes, sitting at 10-7 after Thursday’s win, but Metheny said the ups-and-downs of the season have only made this group stronger.

“They all come together. They’re having so much fun this year,” Metheny said. “They’re just a family, and if somebody goes down, you have the 19 strong behind them, picking them up and being ready to go for the next play.”

Champion’s upperclassmen were a part of the program’s Elite 8 appearance in 2023. They saw up close and personal what it takes to make it deep into the postseason. While still early in the tournament, that experience is already showing results.

“(That experience) definitely makes a difference,” Metheny said. “Just having two grade levels, especially those upperclassmen, being able to tell them, ‘It’s a feeling that you want to experience at some point in your high school career, so why not make it this season?'”

Struthers finishes its 2025 campaign with a 4-12 record.

“They were better than us today. End of story,” Wildcats coach Ron Bartholomew said.

Champion will hit the road for a Division IV, Northeast 4 district semifinal matchup with Chagrin Falls on Tuesday. A win against the Tigers would set them up against either West Branch or Woodridge with a district championship on the line.

Much like against Struthers, staying aggressive and battling is the key to keeping the season rolling.

“We definitely need to keep the momentum and the passion there, fighting to the end,” Metheny said. “Anything can happen in tournaments, so it’s really about which team shows up and capitalizes when they can.”