Ravens’ Season Ends in Gritty 2–1 Defeat on the Road

Hillcrest Ravens vs Chariton 5.27.2025

Hillcrest 1, Chariton 2 

The Ravens traveled west to face a 12 win Chariton team in the second round of substate play, but ran out of time with the score 2-1 in Chariton’s favor. It took a while for the Ravens to get used to the wet turf field, but the defense held strong in the first half, keeping Chariton scoreless through the first 40 minutes. Goalie Kyle Neuschwander collected six saves in the half behind his back line of Bryce Bailey, Isaac Birky, and Lincoln Miller. Defensive mids Kale Bailey and Jesse Blossom shut down Charleston’s leading scorer, limiting his touches throughout the half.

In the second hal,f the Ravens came out harder, winning more balls and generating more shots. Mason Bender, Mason Helmuth and Micah Gerber in particular put more pressure on the Chariton defense resulting in the first shots for the Ravens. Midfielders Seth Ours, Isaac Beachy, Angel Sambrano, and Owen Scott upped the level of physicality and helped to maintain a bit more possession for the Ravens. 

Fifteen minutes into the half, a Chariton player fell in the box. Though there were questions as to if a foul had been committed or if he had just fallen, Chariton was awarded a penalty kick, which they successfully converted. Seven minutes later, Chariton struck again on a crossing ball to take a 2-0 lead. 

The Ravens dug deep to rebound and equalize. Their efforts were rewarded with 10 minutes showing on the clock when Mason Bender sent a pass into Mason Helmuth. Helmuth let the ball run, and the goalie watched the ball go into the net with the score now 2-1. The Ravens pushed numbers forward in an attempt to find the equalizer, but could not find the tying goal.

Hillcrest ends the season at 8-5-2 and says goodbye to eight seniors who helped lead the team through the post-COVID year and during some lean times in numbers. They’ve helped establish a good base for the many young up-and-coming players.