TAYLOR MILL — Boone County senior Brad Steffen isn't making many friends at the other two county high schools.

        Steffen has scored just four goals all season, but two of those have come against Conner and Ryle. The midfielder scored the only goal in the Rebels' 1-0 win over Conner in the district semifinals.

        Wednesday, in the Region 13 championship game at Scott, he delivered the game-winner in the second sudden-death overtime of Boone County's 5-4 win over Ryle.

Boone County's Liverio Garcia battles Ryle's Matt Sand for control of the ball during Wednesday's 5-4 Rebels victory. (Mike Simons photo) | ZOOM |

        Steffen pounced on a carom off the left goalpost and left-footed the ball along the ground toward the left corner. It skidded through a Ryle defender's legs and into the net, giving the Rebels their first regional championship since 1985.

        The win sends the Rebels into the sectional championship game against Covington Catholic at 4:30p.m. Friday at CovCath.

        “I thought I mis-hit it,” Steffen said. “That's all I remember. Then everybody jumped on me, and I was at the bottom of the pile.”

        “I was scared to death he was going to miss it,” Boone County coach Shawn Neace said.

        The win extended Boone County's unbeaten streak to 14 and was the third for the Rebels (15-5-1) over Ryle (12-7) this season. The Rebels had won each of the first two by 4-0 scores.

        “Lot of heart, big rival, obviously what's at stake,” Ryle coach Jim Galbraith said when asked what the difference was in this game.

        After the game was tied at 2-2 at halftime, Keith Churchill gave the Rebels a 3-2 lead in the second half, but Ryle senior midfielder Andrew Lageman forced overtime with a goal on a header with 10:55 left in regulation.

        Boone County senior striker Brandon Post gave the Rebels a lead in the first 10-minute overtime with a direct kick, but Lageman countered by working his way through three defenders and nudging his second goal of the game over the line with 6:19 left in the second of two 10-minute overtimes.

        “This was a crazy game,” Steffen said. “Every time we'd score, they'd score. I think they stepped up their game, so we stepped up ours. They came out and played hard — maybe a little harder than we did.”
        Boone Co. 5, Ryle 4 (4 OT)
       Goals: B—Fichner, Valentine, Churchill, Post, Steffen. R— Lageman 2, Goessling, Baker.
               

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