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The Chelsea Hornets clinched their spot in the Class 6A Final Four after defeating the Calera Eagles 3-0 on Friday, May 3 behind two goals from junior Cooper Baumbaugh. (For the Reporter/Jeremy Raines)

By TYLER RALEY | Staff Writer

CHELSEA – Standing under the spotlight with history on the line, the Chelsea Hornets stood driving and kicking the soccer ball around as the seconds ticked off the clock in the second half.

Having a solid lead in their hands, all the Hornets had to do was keep the ball in their possession and refrain from making any careless mistakes. 

Knowing the fate that awaited it, Chelsea did so, and as the bench players counted down from 10 and listened to the final whistle blow, they rushed the field in celebration feeling something the program had not felt since 2011—a trip to Huntsville and the Final Four.

The Chelsea Hornets defeated the Calera Eagles 3-0 in foggy and cool weather on Friday, May 3, fighting through a shifty pace to punch their ticket to the Class 6A Final Four.

“Super proud of our team,” said Chelsea head boy soccer coach Lee Miller. “I love that this team doesn’t have just one guy we rely on. It’s like a hero every different night. Sometimes it’s one guy, sometimes it’s another… I’m just proud of the whole group.”

With the game set to start at 7 p.m., both teams had to make an adjustment due to bad weather throughout the day, adjusting the kick-off time to 7:30 p.m. Nonetheless, that did not keep both teams from consistently playing smart in the first half.

Both teams had multiple scoring opportunities in the early minutes, with the Hornets nearly taking advantage of a carom just in front of the goal in the sixth minute. 

Calera then found a string of chances to score, primarily from star senior Matt Doerfler, who challenged Chelsea all night with runs and ball control. However, with three chances in the seventh, eighth and ninth minutes, nothing prevailed.

The Hornets then knew they had to convert something soon and went to work. In the 11th minute, Max Wever sprinted down the left side with the ball, and crossing it in, found the foot of Cooper Baumbaugh for a goal from a couple of yards out to make it 1-0.

The Eagles then began to find their stride, churning out runs quicker than anybody could blink. However, chance by chance, Chelsea continued stepping up to make big stops and saves, including goalkeeper Andrew Purkey, who recorded eight saves on the night.

After Purkey saved a deflected free kick from Doerfler in the 35th minute, the game went into the half at 1-0, but Calera sat just inches away from knotting it up. The Hornets had other plans though.

Following a missed opportunity on a throw-in in the 44th minute, Chelsea found Baumbaugh free on the right side of the goal, and with an awkward off-balance kick from his right foot, put it in the back of the net to send the Hornets into a frenzy and extend things to 2-0.

A few minutes later, Chelsea sent junior Campbell Jenkins in the game at a time when he was needed. Luckily for the Hornets, he did what he needed to do and more.

In the 56th minute, Jenkins caught possession of the ball after Eagles goalkeeper Peter Njoroge mishandled it, and kicked it into an open goal to slam the door shut on the quarterfinal contest, putting the score at 3-0.

For the rest of the game, Chelsea played tactical defense to prevent Calera from scoring any late goals, and doing so carried it to the final whistle, sending the Hornets faithful into celebration as they secured a spot in Huntsville.

For the senior class, the times are special as they helped make history for the program, and Miller knows it.

“Super proud of this senior group,” Miller said. “Good leadership from Elijah Huggins and Harper Jones, they’re our senior captains… Shon (Mckinney) was great. These seniors have been fantastic. Obviously Max Wever scored a bunch of goals, it’s a really good group.”

For players like Baumbaugh, he has dreamed of this moment, and now that it is a reality, he feels this team has what it takes to go all the way.

“It feels amazing,” Baumbaugh said. “I feel like ever since I was a little kid, I signed up to be here. I know our history is not very good with soccer, but I feel like these past few years, ever since I joined, it’s gotten a lot better—not just me, but the players, the kids that were seniors when I was here, they were just better than the seniors before, and I think we can get it done this year.”

The next opponent that stands in the way of the Hornets is the defending Class 6A runner-up Spanish Fort Toros on Thursday, May 8 at 3 p.m. at John Hunt Park in Huntsville, with a win earning either team a shot at a blue map trophy.

“We’re glad to go to Huntsville, super happy that we’re back there, but that doesn’t complete our mission,” Miller said. “Our mission is to do more than that, so we’re going to try and get ourselves together now and get prepared for what should be a very difficult semifinal.”

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