Mirror picture by Patrick Waksmunski
Penn Cambria’s Sean Tomlinson raises the championship trophy.

By Matt Michelone

sports activities@altoonamirror.com

HOLLIDAYSBURG — On many events over the course of the Penn Cambria boys’ soccer program’s historical past, most Panther playoff visits have resulted in heartache.

Entering this season, they’d solely triumphed one time in playoff motion — with their solely win coming in 2019.

When the 2023 playoff run began with an upset of defending champion Juniata, Indians coach Jared Byler threw a problem on the Panthers to seize the crown from them in taking over Philipsburg-Osceola on Thursday night time for the District 6 Class 2A title.

It was a rollercoaster experience from falling behind early, to taking the lead, solely to see that lead evaporate within the closing seconds of regulation.

But they will formally declare the mission achieved, as Nick Marshall took a feed and located the again of the online because the Panthers went on to win 4-3 within the second extra time interval at Tiger Stadium.

Panthers coach Nick Wanyo obtained emotional when discussing the second his program obtained to get pleasure from.

“The first half it looked like the spotlight was too big for him,” Wayno mentioned of Marshall. “We said, ‘dude, you got to own up, step up, you’re looked on. You need to take this,’ and he did.”

Marshall couldn’t consider that he scored the game-winning tally.

“Once I saw it and got it past two defenders, I had to shoot it,” he mentioned. “I thought I missed it, and they tried kicking it out. It feels unreal.”

Carson Long began the championship match very like he did the semifinal matchup, as he netted the primary purpose of the sport, solely to observe up with a penalty kick to offer the Mounties a 2-0 lead.

“Being here is a victory,” Philipsburg-Osceola coach Ryan Long mentioned. “My guys worked so, so, hard. I’ve known Nick (Wayno) their head coach for probably 10-12 years, played soccer with him. He’s a good guy, he has a good team. Congratulations to them.”

Coming out of the break, Andrew Dillon obtained the Panthers on the board with a rating from Kyle Conrad. Later on, Marshall obtained his first rating of the sport to tie the match.

With rather less than 5 minutes left in regulation, Sean Tomlinson put the Panthers forward with a shot to the underside left nook.

P-O, although, wouldn’t go away as Hunter McKinney, off a nook kick, tied the sport with underneath one minute to play.

“I said to the boys it was a great comeback,” Wanyo mentioned. “We just need one more. We’re fine. One goal and we’re done, and that’s exactly what happened.”

Marshall took duty for his function within the game-tying purpose, however saved constructive via all of it.

“It was kind of my fault,” he mentioned. “I was on the back post. I knew we could come back and fight as long as we just kept our heads up and did what we did in the second half.”

Wanyo couldn’t be happier to see his program lastly see the highest of the District 6 mountain.

“I give them November off and July off,” he mentioned. “Otherwise, we’re always working. Indoor, tournaments, outdoor, and they keep coming back. I can’t tell you how big this is for Penn Cambria in the sense of keeping kids in this game, keeping them wanting to play at Penn Cambria. This program is going to keep on growing.”

Marshall couldn’t be happier to be carrying the gold medal.

“Honestly, It doesn’t feel real,” he mentioned. “We worked all season for this, and honestly him giving us that pushed us.”

Penn Cambria will now get the reward of enjoying District 4’s runner up on Tuesday night time at a web site and time to be introduced.

SCORE BY HALVES

Penn Cambria 0 3 0 1 – 4

Philipsburg-Osceola 2 1 0 0 – 3

First Half: 1,) PO – Long (Dixon), 15:14; 2,) PO – Long (Penalty kick), 31:48

Second Half: 3,) PC – Dillon (Okay. Conrad), 46:18; 4,) PC – Marshall (unassisted), 59:32; 5,) Tomlinson (unassisted), 75:38; 6,) PO – McKinney (unassisted), 79:23.

Second Overtime; 7,) Marshall (Okay. Conrad), 99:23.

Records: Penn Cambria (12-8-1); Philipsburg-Osceola (11-8-1).