Spooktacular Week for Vikes!

Entering Tuesday's Central Regional II matchup against the Salina South Cougars, the Seaman Viking boy's soccer team was eager to make a postseason push. Luckily for them it only took 10 minutes to start, after Josh Ellis found the back of the net with a bouncing ball in the box. Following his goal though, Seaman's play seemed stagnant and offensive opportunities became limited to conclude the half. 

"It was pretty frustrating because we knew we could have done better. We could have tried  a lot harder. We didn't possess good, I know that." said Ellis regarding Seaman's first half play.

However, after an emotional halftime speech from Coach Louis Di Leonardo, the Vikings came out to play in the second half.  Solid team defense spurred a breakaway for sophomore Erick Rivera to tack on another goal 14 minutes in. And for good measures, Zak Hutchinson redirected a Trenton Miller corner kick 10 minutes later to give Seaman the 3-0 victory and a birth in the regional championship game. 


Two nights later, the boys took Don Pierce Field once more for their Central Regional II championship game against league rival Shawnee Heights (6-10-1). In only their third game of the season Seaman defeated Heights 3-1, but with postseason implications on the line, this game was sure to be a barn-burner. Both teams brought it all in the first half, surging to find the lead and the momentum. Seaman was successful in doing so with only one minute remaining in the half. Senior defender Trent Johnson and sophomore Lucas Boyd combined passes on the left side before Boyd found Erick Rivera on the back post to give the Vikings a 1-nil lead going into intermission. Just before taking the pitch for the second half, a portion of the stadium lights went out causing a 20 minute delay. However, this hold up didn't derail either team's game plans nor focus. Seaman came out pressuring the T-Birds, trying to cause errors at both ends of the field. The Vikes always had numbers behind the ball and in front of the goal towing away any of Heights' efforts toward goal. The pressure finally mounted on the Thunderbirds after forward Zak Hutchinson put home a rebounded shot from freshman Clayton Smith. 


Seaman's second goal proved to be enough as they held on for the 2-0 victory and captured their first Regional Championship in four years. Following the game, the team posed for pictures with their hardware and celebrated the accomplishment. They have returned to practice before they travel to Blue Valley-Stillwell (12-6) on Tuesday for a sub-state/state quarterfinal match-up. 


Salina South Story

Shawnee Heights Story

Playing for Seeds

Exactly a week after their disappointing loss to Rural, the Seaman Vikings hit the road to take on Topeka High at Hummer Sports Park. Senior night for the Trojans brought a large rowdy crowd to see each of the team's play their last regular season game. Topeka High was playing for a number four seed in their regional, which would bring with it at least one postseason home contest. Seaman on the other hand, was playing for a potential one seed, or at least holding onto a two seed in their central regional. This would establish home field advantage throughout the regional playoffs for the Vikes. The intensity was visible throughout the game, before the teams went in for an 80 minute lightning delay after only 16 minutes of play. The delay proved as no hinderance for either of the teams, who took the turf and played in a downpour for a period of time. Chances mounted for both sides, but neither could put one in the net and at the end of regulation the score was 0-0. Overtime proved to be no solution as both teams continued to attack with no avail. The game ended in a draw nearly two hours after the designated end time. With this result Topeka High fell to the six seed, while Seaman held on to their number two seed and clinched home field advantage for the Central Regional 2 playoffs. Their next game is Monday, October 25, against seventh seeded Salina South (3-11-2).

High Octane Week for Viking Soccer

After a day off and one practice, the Seaman boy's soccer team was back in action Tuesday, October 12, against KC Turner. The Golden Bears (10-2), who contained and frustrated Seaman last season in a tight 2-1 game, attracted great attention from DiLeonardo's Vikes. Underestimating Turner's fire power bit them last season, so Seaman wanted to come out strong. After a nil-nil half, the fans finally saw what the Vikings had to show. Seaman surged forward only to miss, but coming closer at that. They finally broke through on a Peter Schmidt corner kick that was redirected by senior Zak Hutchison for the game-winning goal with 26 seconds left. Hutchison's late tally increased the confidence for the Vikes, who would have to square up against perennial powerhouse Washburn Rural next. 

That following Thursday, the boys were back on the pitch for a sure to be highly intense game on senior night. Perhaps a little jittery playing against the defending 6A state champions, Seaman gave up a goal three minutes into the match. They were unable to respond to Rural's high pressure and constant attack and fell 3-0. The game helped display the level at which DiLeonardo's team was playing and the direction they needed to head for their next opponent. Concluding this week, the Seaman Vikings record now sits at 8-6-1.

Tough Stretch for Boy's Soccer

The first week of October posed as no easy one for the Seaman boy's soccer program as they had to begin by hosting big-time 4A KC Christian. The Vikes struck first in the match, but couldn't hold off the surging Panthers from Prairie Village, who took the win 2-1. The loss was tough for Louis DiLeonardo's Vikes, but they were forced to recuperate and bounce back two days later against tough league and regional opponent, Emporia. Spirit night at the pitch caused a raucous environment that brought with it overwhelming emotions and intensity. The Spartans took the lead early on and added another 12 minutes into the second half. A laser by David Notter increased morale for Seaman, but they were unable to tack on another and fell 2-1. DiLeonardo's team didn't take the week's two losses lightly, taking the practice field Friday and then traveling to Leavenworth for a rare Saturday make-up game. Seaman, who played without four varsity members, embraced the field turf they were playing on and took out the week's frustrations on the Patriots. Freshman defender Clay Haag kicked off the onslaught of first half scoring 8 minutes in, paving the way for sophomore Erick Rivera to net four more goals. Seaman held on for the 5-nil victory, improving their record to 7-5-1 overall. The end of this week marked the team's sixth game in 12 days, as they went .500 in those contests. 

Odd Week for Vikes

The Seaman boy's soccer team entered the last week of September looking to come out with three victories, and they nearly met that goal. On Monday, September 27, Coach Louis DiLeonardo took his team on the road, which turned out to be a neutral site, to face familiar foe and 4A rival Hayden. Playing at an earlier time, 4:30, didn't phase the Vikings, who came out firing and went into half up one-nil after an Erick Rivera goal. They built upon their lead in the second half with another laser from Rivera and junior Zach Bayless to cruise to a 3-1 victory. Two days later, Seaman faced off against the fifth ranked and previously undefeated Bonner Springs Braves. The game shaped up to be a nail-biter, seeming like one goal could seal the deal. And so it did after the Braves scored off a free kick late in the first half and then held on to drop the Vikes. However, Seaman was quick to respond because they had a game the very next day at Hummer Sports Park against league opponent Highland Park. Coming off the loss motivated the DiLeonardo's team who sailed away with a 9-0 victory. Displeased with first half play, the Vikings picked up the second half effort scoring six goals in the remaining 40 minutes, with nine different players scoring in the contest. The end of the odd week brought the Seaman Vikings to 6-3-1, establishing some confidence for the season's second half. 

League Play Helps Vikings

After two demoralizing losses last week, the Seaman soccer team has regained it's mojo. The boy's focused on team defense, winning balls out of the air, and crosses in preparation for the week's tough opposition. On Tuesday, they put their new skills to good use. In their match against 6A Centennial League opponent Manhattan, team defense was the Vikings key. No goals were scored in the match for either side ending in a nil-nil draw. Seaman's first tie of the season exposed and resilient and strengthened defense, and possibly shed light on a lack of offensive opportunities.


The following Thursday, inner city rival Topeka West took a stroll up north for a night of soccer, one that won't be forgotten for a while. It was Homecoming week for the Seaman Vikings, who usually draw one of their largest crowds on this special evening. However, downpouring rains flooded the natural surfaces and the game was moved to the turf, bringing only a handful of die-hard Viking parents and fans with it. They wouldn't be disappointed either. It took only 23 seconds for the Vikings to score off an Erick Rivera cross tapped in by Zak Hutchison for his seventh of the season. Louis DiLeonardo's team took their 1-0 advantage into half where they made corrections and came out firing in the second go-around. In only his second game back from injury, AJ Glenn netted two goals off assists by Miller and Notter to lead the Vikings to a 3-0 victory. This marked goalkeeper Ethan Wurtz's second shutout of the season and brought the team to 4-2-1 overall, and 2-1-1 in league play. Now, the Vikings face an unnatural week with three games starting with their bitter 4A rival Hayden on Monday. 

Vikes' Run Ends

It doesn't take many goals to win most soccer games, especially when you're granted a few mistakes by the opposing team. That is exactly what occurred Tuesday, September 14, when the 3-0 Seaman Vikings faced off against 6A foe Junction City on Don Pierce Field. The Blue Jays, 4-1, grabbed the momentum early in the match as they scored from a ricochet own goal off a corner kick. The Vikes answered with a stealthy goal from Wyatt McKay just before the half. The game eventually hit overtime, where Junction City prevailed scoring off another own goal with only 9 seconds remaining. The 2-1 OT loss was Seaman's first of the season, bringing them to 3-1 overall, and 1-1 in Centennial League.


Only two days later, the Vikings were taking the pitch once more against 6A power Blue Valley-Stillwell. However, this night didn't fulfill expectations for Coach DiLeonardo, who's Vikings fell 2-0. The teams second straight loss takes them to 3-2, as they hope to get back on track in a league game on Tuesday against Manhattan