Setting the tone
Craft leads Adams past Salem, 2-0, back to finals for first time since 2014
TROY >> The Rochester Adams Highlanders made it back to the state finals for the first time since 2014 with a 2-0 win over the Salem Rocks Wednesday night.
“I’m just proud of the boys. Getting this far is really rare, and it’s been a little bit since this program has been there — but not too long ago. These guys have set a tone for this school now that they believe in winning,” Adams head coach Josh Hickey said.
Adams got on the board early when Colton Janes played a perfect through ball for Adams co-captain Jackson Craft, who tapped it in, giving the Highlanders a 1-0 lead with 31:01 remaining in the first half.
The Highlanders put on a flurry after that and had a two or three good chances in short order, but they could not take advantage and extend their league. Another chance would go begging late in the first half as the Highlanders hit right post almost square on and were denied the rebound. “The first goal was beautiful pass from my teammate (Janes). We had talked about it earlier in the game; we saw the gap and we were able to adapt and make that beautiful through ball and finish it. We had a couple other chances, and it kind of hurt not being able to put those in the back of the net, but we knew if we just kept going we were going to get another one,” Craft said.
The Rocks would create a couple early chances of their own through Forster Garrett’s dynamic play on the right wing.
But Adams co-captain Nick Hopkins would put in yeoman’s work marking Garrett throughout the game, and a strong midfield effort often denied service to Garrett and the other Salem forwards. Goalie John Coon was there to clean up the rest, and the Highlanders would go on to record their thirteenth shutout of the season overall, but just their first of the postseason.
“They (Salem) caused us trouble in spurts. We had to switch some things up to be defensively sound. I’ve just got to give my team credit. They did play well defensively,” Hickey said. “They have those three guys up top the whole game, and you’re trying to focus on Garrett because he’s really good. But the other guys can play as well. We were trying to limit the services to those guys, and I thought we did a good job of that. We still let some in, but it’s a good team. They’re here for a reason.”
Adams would eventually get an insurance goal in the second half, also from Craft who stole a ball and blasted a shot and this time the ball caught a little less of the right goalpost, ricocheting in from 35 yards out with 25:09 remaining in the game to give the Highlanders some breathing room.
The Highlanders are now 16-1-6 over
all. Adams will face unbeaten Rockford on Saturday at Comstock Park for the Division 1 state title, something that the Highlanders last won in 1999.
“I know very well that Rockford is a great team, and it’s going to be a very difficult game,” Craft said. “But we’ve had a pretty good season. We’re all going to rest up, and coach has been doing a great job of preparing us for each game. I know we’re going to give it everything we’ve got, and I think we have a really good chance of bringing it home soon.”