The Turpin Spartans claimed the Eastern Cincinnati Conference boys soccer championship Thursday, Oct. 15, beating Lebanon 1-0 to finish the regular season unbeaten.
The title is Turpin's second in three years.
The Spartans needed the win and help. They got both. Little Miami, which entered the day tied with Turpin atop the conference standings, played Anderson to a draw. That result, combined with Turpin's victory, gave the Spartans sole possession of the crown, ECC Central announced on Instagram.
Anderson's draw with Little Miami meant the Panthers played a direct role in settling the conference race, holding the co-leaders to a tie while Turpin took care of business in Lebanon.
Senior Sam Harding has been the engine of Turpin's attack all season. The Cincinnati Enquirer's final Greater Cincinnati boys soccer rankings, published Oct. 15, listed Harding with 21 goals and two assists entering the Lebanon match. He and Little Miami's Connor Picard were tied for the league lead in goals. The Enquirer ranked the Spartans fifth in the area at 11-0-4 before the Lebanon game, holding steady from the prior week.
As we reported Oct. 15, the Spartans headed into the Lebanon match with the conference title on the line.
Now the focus shifts to the OHSAA postseason. Turpin enters the Division III bracket as the top seed in the district tournament, according to the Enquirer. The Spartans open sectional play against Goshen on Tuesday, Oct. 20.
The OHSAA sectional tournament runs Oct. 19-24, with the district round Oct. 26-31, regionals Nov. 3-8 and the state tournament Nov. 10-16, according to WHIZ News. The Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) announced the state championship finals will be played Nov. 13-16 at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field in Columbus, home of Major League Soccer's Columbus Crew.
