Crown the Bears! Kansas City’s East High wins Missouri boys soccer championship
After coming oh-so-close one year ago, the East Bears are finally state champions of Missouri boys high school soccer.
Nattily attired in their trademark black kits with green trim, East beat Ladue Horton Watkins 2-0 in the Class 3 state-championship match on a sunny Saturday afternoon at the World Wide Technology Soccer Park in Fenton.
This is East’s first state championship in any sport since 1929, when the Bears won a basketball championship.
With many Bears fans and well-wishers on hand Saturday in Fenton and more watching live via a big screen set up in KC’s Power & Light District, the teams played to a scoreless first half.
The floodgates opened after halftime. The Bears scored a pair of goals in less than a minute to take a 2-0 lead with under 15 minutes remaining in the match.
East strikes again less than a minute later, Bears now up 2-0. @KSHB41 pic.twitter.com/qPrvPxhdW9
— David Medina (@djmedina27) November 18, 2023
With 14:27 minutes left in the second half, East strikes first and leads 1-0. @KSHB41 pic.twitter.com/jbu7uItuSW
— David Medina (@djmedina27) November 18, 2023
GOOOAAAAALLLLL!!!
A long-range strike too much for the Ladue Horton goalkeeper, as @KCPS_East takes the 1-0 lead with less than 15 minutes left in the State Championship! pic.twitter.com/kaNvE9VYHI— KCPS (@kcpublicschools) November 18, 2023
The championship for Kansas City Public Schools’ East High culminates a steady rise in prominence for the Bears program under head coach Gerzo Guerrero.
Last fall, East beat Springfield Glendale in the state semifinals before losing a 3-2 heartbreaker to Webster Groves in the match for the championship.
This year’s championship finale in the state’s biggest-schools classification, Class 4, was still to come on Saturday evening (7 p.m. start). It’s an all-KC showdown featuring Rockhurst vs. Park Hill South
Missouri boys soccer state championships
In Fenton; at World Wide Technology Soccer Park
CLASS 4
Friday’s semifinals
Park Hill South 2, Lindbergh 0
Rockhurst 6, John Burroughs 0
Saturday
Third-place game: Lindbergh vs. John Burroughs, 5 p.m.
Championship: Park Hill South vs. Rockhurst, 7 p.m.
CLASS 3
Friday’s semifinals
East 1, Rockwood Summit 0, OT
Ladue Horton Watkins 2, Springfield Catholic 0
Saturday
Third-place game: Rockwood Summit 4, Springfield Catholic 1
Championship: East 2, Ladue Horton Watkins 0
CLASS 2
Friday’s semifinals
Westminster Christian 3, Excelsior Springs 0
Logan-Rogersville 1, Orchard Farm 0
Saturday
Third-place game: Excelsior Springs vs. Orchard Farm, 2:30 p.m.
Championship: Westminster Christian vs. Logan-Rogersville, 4 p.m.
CLASS 1
Friday’s semifinals
Bishop DuBourg 1, Maryville 0
Duchesne 7, Laquey 1
Saturday
Third-place game: Maryville 5, Laquey 0
Championship: Duchesne 1, Bishop DuBourg 0
