Rebels suffer first loss in 1A title match

: Grundy Center/Gladbrook-Reinbeck freshman midfielder Hudson Clark (13) and Western Christian goalkeeper JD Petitt contend for a ball in the box during last Saturday’s Class 1A state boys’ soccer championship match at Cownie Soccer Complex in Des Moines. PHOTO BY JAKE RYDER

: The Grundy Center/Gladbrook-Reinbeck boys’ soccer team celebrates with its Class 1A state runner-up trophy after last Saturday’s state championship match at Cownie Soccer Complex in Des Moines. Second-ranked Western Christian defeated the top-rated Rebels 2-0. PHOTO BY JAKE RYDER

: Grundy Center/Gladbrook-Reinbeck players Austin Betts (2), Aiden Betts (6) and Isaac Clark (11) react as Western Christian begins to celebrate its Class 1A boys’ state soccer championship match win last Saturday at Cownie Soccer Complex in Des Moines. Second-ranked Western Christian defeated the top-rated Rebels 2-0. PHOTO BY JAKE RYDER

: Tyler Nolder (5) heads the ball while under duress during last Saturday’s Class 1A state soccer championship match. PHOTO BY JAKE RYDER

: PHOTO BY JAKE RYDER

: PHOTO BY JAKE RYDER

The Grundy Center/Gladbrook-Reinbeck boys’ soccer team celebrates with its Class 1A state runner-up trophy after last Saturday’s state championship match at Cownie Soccer Complex in Des Moines. Second-ranked Western Christian defeated the top-rated Rebels 2-0. PHOTO BY JAKE RYDER

DES MOINES — Grundy Center/Gladbrook-Reinbeck boys soccer found themselves in unfamiliar territory in more ways than one last Saturday morning.

GC/G-R fell behind early in the second half and took their first and only loss of the season in a 2-0 defeat to Western Christian in the Class 1A state championship game at the Cownie Soccer Complex in Des Moines.

The result is a runner-up trophy in the program’s first-ever state championship game appearance, finishing no better than third in their previous three state appearances.

“Today wasn’t our day, and that’s OK,” Dinsdale said. “These guys have set the bar very high, and I can’t thank them enough for giving all they had today.”

The three senior captains for GC/G-R — Austin Betts, Aiden Hunemuller and Tyler Nolder — were all honored on the Iowa High School Soccer Coaches Association’s 1A all-tournament team after the game.

Grundy Center/Gladbrook-Reinbeck freshman midfielder Hudson Clark (13) and Western Christian goalkeeper JD Petitt contend for a ball in the box during last Saturday’s Class 1A state boys’ soccer championship match at Cownie Soccer Complex in Des Moines. PHOTO BY JAKE RYDER

“I was shocked,” Betts said. “I think it’s well deserved for those two and I’m humbled to receive that honor as well. And I think the schools of Grundy Center and Gladbrook-Reinbeck are proud of these guys.”

There was no score at halftime, even after some good chances from both sides as the GC/G-R and Wolfpack defenses stood tall.

But two minutes into the second half, 1A all-tournament team captain Miles Baccam got an assist from Zach Minderhoud and pocketed a shot into the far post for a 1-0 Western Christian lead. Roughly seven minutes later, Kalen Hartbecke set up Baccam for a second goal.

That ended up being plenty for the Wolfpack’s stout defense, winning their first state title in spring soccer — the Wolfpack won a fall title in 1997.

“They’re all really big and tall, and physical,” Hunemuller said. “They’re really good at those 50-50 balls. They’re similar to us on the ground and with their feet, but they just had that extra height on us today.”

Grundy Center/Gladbrook-Reinbeck players Austin Betts (2), Aiden Betts (6) and Isaac Clark (11) react as Western Christian begins to celebrate its Class 1A boys’ state soccer championship match win last Saturday at Cownie Soccer Complex in Des Moines. Second-ranked Western Christian defeated the top-rated Rebels 2-0. PHOTO BY JAKE RYDER

Western Christian’s win continues a stranglehold by private schools on Class 1A boys soccer. The last public school to win a 1A title was Norwalk in 2007, back when there were only two classes of soccer (Burlington Notre Dame, which is in a sharing program with West Burlington, won the 2021 title). Since the introduction of the 1A class in 1998, private schools have won 21 of the 25 1A trophies awarded.

“They were just good everywhere,” Betts said. “We haven’t seen an opponent like that all year and unfortunately, we weren’t able to overcome it.”

GC/G-R moved the formation around in the final 20 minutes to bring some of their best strikers to the forefront, and Dinsdale believes that an Austin Betts header off a Tyler Nolder cross that missed just high of the goal with 12 minutes left could have changed the pace of the game if on target.

“That could have been something special,” Dinsdale added. “Again, it was just one of those days where things didn’t quite go our way.”

GC/G-R ends their best season in program history at 20-1, bidding farewell to a senior class that finished under .500 as sophomores and then won 35 of their next 38 games.

Tyler Nolder (5) heads the ball while under duress during last Saturday’s Class 1A state soccer championship match. PHOTO BY JAKE RYDER

In addition to the captains, Cooper Hoy, Stuart Whitehill, Anthony Stice, Jeryn Spear, Ryan Koester and Andrew Hommel played their final games in the GC/G-R jersey.

“I’m so proud of everybody for all the hard work that they put in,” Nolder said. “And especially this whole week — it’s been hot, we’ve played a lot in a little amount of time. It takes a lot to do that and it shows the character we have on this team.”

This week was also a chance to showcase the potential for GC/G-R’s future, including seniors-to-be like Isaac Clark, Dylan Knaack and keeper Max Anderson, or underclassmen like Aiden Betts, Jacob Hoy and Aidan Raffield that saw significant playing time at Cownie.

“They can totally get back here. 100 percent,” Austin Betts said. “I know they can. We’ve set the tone for soccer at GC/G-R and I believe that they can and will bring this team back here.”

However, the trophy goes in the case after it was paraded around Grundy County on Saturday evening. And a new chapter begins for GC/G-R soccer.

PHOTO BY JAKE RYDER

“You can’t just show up and be awesome,” Dinsdale said. “It takes hard work, dedication. These boys showed that, and what a ride it was for 2023. What an awesome ride.”

It was a ride that Dinsdale didn’t even know if he’d be a part of at this time last year, announcing his intention to step down as head coach after GC/G-R’s 2022 season ended with a substate final loss to West Liberty.

Dinsdale indicated initially that he intended to be a bigger part of his three children’s lives — two daughters, age 7 and 1, and one five-year-old son.

“After I told the boys this was going to be it, the messages, the phone calls I got from the men I’ve coached before, the ones that were coming back, it really blew my mind,” Dinsdale said. “I talked to my wife about it a lot and we decided, you know, let’s take it year by year. So we’re gonna see what happens. My wife has done an incredible job this season with the kids and I couldn’t do this without her. She keeps our family in line and I keep this family in line.”

“And was it a sign from somewhere to come back and be with these gentlemen this year? I do think so. And I’m so glad I got to experience it with them.”