Bandage Out 2021

Game 1

27 August 2021, at Saint Thomas Aquinas vs. St. James in Bandage Out for the Clevinger-Cobb Cup (3-0)

This match deserves more of a novel or at least a short story, rather than just another write-up. So much was going on other than the soccer match. 

First of all, St. James gave us the game unexpectedly when they were unable to secure some bleachers. And, of course, BWhite had a vision to make it a special match even though he only had less than two weeks to put it together. (Our parents did a great job of working with him to help make it a special opening match.)

Never doubt BWhite. Bandage Out sprang from our side of the stadium and a PinkOut for recently-lost St. James student, Izzy Ford, took off from the other side of the field.

We walked out in the midst of hundreds of Bandage-out and hundreds of PinkOut shirts into a joint prayer with a moving prelude from the Ford family before the event became a hotly contested soccer match–Loughman and Do dubbed it "a Holy War."

St. James was definitely the aggressor in the first 20 minutes of the match. They attacked and defended with such energy that we were on our heels early.  At about that twenty-minute mark, we did seem to settle in and start moving the ball with some connected passes. All of a sudden we did have an attack. 

Ethan Young was as advertised—electric. His hat trick was a thing of beauty with each goal getting progressively more difficult. I am partial to the second goal, of course, as it demonstrated one of those "that's an STA goal" with Ryan attacking the baseline sizzling a ground cross through a Konnesky-dummy for an on-waiting Ethan Young for the quick hit. 

Joey Pollock earned us a nice PK midway through the second half that reduced the St. James team to 10 players. We did not hit the PK but we did have quite an advantage after that.

Shortly thereafter, we ran a beautiful corner that Cooper Welsh headed in, but we pushed the keeper, nullifying that goal.  So we did come close to scoring 5.

Our defense was stellar all night, and it was no wonder that BWhite selected Mark Mason as one of his BWhite Players of the Match as he debuted about as well as you can debut at centerback. And then add in his enormous throw-in, and, well. nice debut.

B also recognized the hardest working midfielder in soccer, Luke Konnesky. When he is on the field, the other guys might as well just by pass their midfield because Luke will run them down an strip them of the ball.

On a special note, the team had dedicated the match to my mom who had recently passed away. I did not find out until after the match, but for me, that will make this Bandage Out one I will always remember with a smile.

I can't say enough about our sponsor, former Aquinas student, and owner of Robeck's Smoothies, Cole Friedman, as he now has not only sponsored Bandage Out, but also, the BWhite Classic this summer. What a gift to Saint Thomas Aquinas.

The Saint Thomas Aquinas Spirits may have embraced the evening best as they danced in their Bandage Out shirts, all with pink ribbons in their hair. 

And if you had happened to be in the hallways or at the assembly today, you would have known that there was definitely some electricity running through the student body. It had been so long since we have been allowed to have that sort of crowd at a school event (3,000 fans). Our crowd was just magnificent. That atmosphere definitely positvely affected our boys.

What an event. Thank you BWhite and all the other players, parents, administrators and sponsors who made this event happen on such a grand scale.

And a huge shoutout to the Halo team with a very entraining broadcast (was it a hot dog or a brat?) by Mara Loughman and Kaylien Do. Check it Out!

And how about the well-represented Clevinger family bringing the cup out to the boys at the end of the event. We can't forget that this game, first and foremost, fondly honors Peter Clevinger and Aaron Cobb, two players who left this world too early. 

Trophy Presentation: Click Here

STATS:

Saints: First Half: Shots: 5 (3) Corners: 2 (Muckerman, Swags)

13:10 Young (Konnesky finds Swags wide and then Swags hits the through-ball)

Thunders: Shots. Shots: 1 (1) .Corners: 2

Second Half: Shots: 8 (5) Corners 1: (Swag)

39:20 Young (Ryan attacks the baseline to drive the t-ball back through the Konnesky dummy)

6:52 Young (Barrett settles a tough ball before finding Ethan through.)

St. James Shots: 3 (2) Corners: 0

BWhite Men of the Match Interview: Click Here