CLINTON – Andrew Griesacker didn’t stop for a second.

Our Lady of Sacred Heart high school senior midfielder saw his first shot deflected through a wall of defenders, but that didn’t matter. Griesacker – and probably anyone watching the action on a rainy night at Youthtowne football complex – knew he wouldn’t be denied. He ran to lock up his miss and rallied before scoring a chip shot a few yards away with about 10 minutes left in the first half of OLSH’s 4-1 win over Beaver County Christian School on Tuesday.

While this goal isn’t a perfect representation of the message Griesacker and his senior colleagues are trying to convey to their team, he doesn’t know what it is. There’s one question Griesacker and the Chargers often use to challenge their struggling teammates: How badly do you want it?

“Not all goals will be net,” Griesacker said after the victory. “Not all goals will be good, especially against disjointed teams. It literally comes down to who wants it the most.

Coming out of a season in which OLSH secured their ticket to the WPIAL Class A quarterfinals for the first time since 2015, it’s nights like Tuesday that really show what the Chargers are all about. And – with several players scrambling to stop goals and keep the Eagles from advancing the ball – it was obvious this group was eager to build on last year’s success.

BCCS finally responded to OLSH’s offensive momentum midway through the second half when Eagles senior forward Micah Guevara found the back of the net. But with just 17 minutes to go and the Chargers still retaining a two-goal advantage, that wasn’t enough.

In the years gone by, victories against the Eagles have not been easy. The squad’s gritty, physical playstyle has given the Chargers tantrums before – not this time around, however. Forward Jeremy Ciaramella, another member of the Chargers’ senior class, said he saw the goal differential between the two teams on Tuesday as a sign of the tangible progress he and his team have made over the past four years. .

“Every time we go forward and score goals in a team like this it feels even better,” said Ciaramella, who scored OLSH’s second goal of the night under two. minutes after the start of the second half. “It kind of cements the idea that we can do this and now is our time.”

Fourth-year Chargers head coach Eric Carothers has watched his seniors grow at every step throughout their time in the program.

Even after just six games, he has seen his veterans behave with a new “bluster” this season.

“They are really hungry and realize this is their last year,” Carothers added.

Several minutes after the game’s last goal was scored and fans cleared the stands, Griesacker, joined by a few of his senior team-mates and Carothers, stood on the pitch as the precipitation intensified. Griesacker didn’t seem to mind the elements.

He had a certain look in his eyes. It was obvious that nothing could stop him Tuesday night, and he was sure that feeling would not escape him and his team anytime soon.

“You have to play with a serious mindset if you want something,” Griesacker said. “If you want it, you have to go out and look for it.”

Contact Parth Upadhyaya at [email protected]. Follow him on twitter @pupadhyaya_.