Junior Kyle Webb got his shot at a crucial point in the game just before the end of the first half. With a scoreless game thus far, Kyle scored a free-kick from 25 yards out, just sneaking in at the far post past the Lowell goalkeeper to take a 1-0 lead. Kyle’s free-kick gave a ton of momentum to the Rangers in their 2-1 district-semifinal victory over Lowell.

“It was a very gutsy performance by the boys,” head coach Paul Kramer said. “It

was just a matter of which team had more grit, and we came out on top.”

With the ball rolling yet again after a dominating 3-0 win over Cedar Springs, the boys varsity soccer team looked to get revenge against a Lowell Red Arrows team that they lost to earlier in the season.

Right as the first half started, the Rangers dominated possession of the ball and had some great chances on goal. It was the Lowell and FHC defense that stole the show, though, with senior captains Ryan Fitzgerald and Jayden Savin playing pivotal roles. When Kyle scored his goal, the first half was just about over. So, the Rangers held a strong 1-0 lead going into halftime.

At halftime, coach Kramer drew up the plan to never let up. The Rangers have seen plenty of their leads being let go over the season, and they did not want that to happen during postseason play.

The second half was a back and forth battle between both teams, with each team getting a lot of chances on goal. However, the first team to strike was Lowell. After a crucial turnover at midfield by the Rangers, Lowell found themselves in a great situation with a 20-yard kick right into the net that snuck by sophomore goalkeeper Lance Childers. 

With the score tied at one apiece, it was a back-and-forth fight between both teams. Neither team wanted to give in, and with just about five minutes left in regulation, junior Myles Shoham tracked a ball down past a Lowell defender that looked to be heading out for a goal kick. Once Myles retrieved the ball, he dribbled towards the goal, where he was tackled in the box for a penalty kick. Kyle stepped up again and slotted the ball perfectly past the keeper to take a 2-1 lead. The Rangers played great defense for the last five minutes to seal the 2-1 victory.

“We’ve talked all season long about being resilient and being able to withstand those gut punches,” coach Kramer said. “The boys have learned these lessons throughout the season, and I am very proud of them.”

The boys will now move onto the district semifinals for the first time since their state championship run in 2015. They will play Northview at Forest Hills Eastern on Thursday, October 21, at 6:30 PM.