Cesar Casas scores with 56.8 seconds left to lift Mendota to sectional title

CHILLICOTHE – With 7:52 left in the Class 1A Illinois Valley Central Sectional championship Wednesday, Mendota junior Cesar Casas had to leave the game due to cramping just two minutes after Peoria Christian had tied it.

Cesar reentered with 2:11 left, and just over a minute later made the biggest play of the Trojans’ season.

Casas leapt in the air to battle Peoria Christian’s Quinton Hynek for possession. Hynek fell to the turf, and Casas corralled the ball and dribbled to the right side of the goal. Casas fired a low shot to the left corner past diving Chargers keeper Josh Walton that found the back of the net with 56.8 seconds remaining to lift the Trojans to a 2-1 victory.

“I guess I didn’t eat the right stuff before the game and I didn’t warm up good enough, but when it came time, I got in and scored the goal,” Casas said. “I communicated with my team. I knew where the defense was. I just looked at the goalie and shot it.

“It was amazing (when I saw it go in). It was last second, so it was unbelievable.”

Cesar’s teammates rushed to him to celebrate near the goal while several Chargers players collapsed to the turf.

But there was still nearly a minute left.

The Chargers pushed the ball down the field, but the Trojans defense didn’t allow a shot, and keeper Mateo Goy grabbed the ball and booted a long punt to help Mendota run out the clock.

The Trojans jumped in the air and waved their arms as the final buzzer sounded. The Mendota student section rushed the field to celebrate the second sectional title in program history.

“It’s amazing,” Mendota coach Nick Myers said. “We’ve worked really hard since last year. We knew when we lost to Quincy Notre Dame in the [sectional] semis that we could have and should have gone further. But we were a really young team. From the day that was over, all we talked about was how we needed to get back here and we needed to do better. All offseason, that’s what we trained for.

“We handled the adversity we did in the second half. We had multiple key guys cramping up. Peoria scores on us, and things weren’t going our way after that. They were getting all the attacks.

“For our guys to power through and Cesar to get that last goal with a minute left, that was just awesome. I think that was the cherry on top of all the hard work these guys have put in. They deserve it.”

The Trojans (23-2-1) punched their ticket home for the supersectional as they’ll play Aurora Central Catholic (18-3-2) at 6 p.m. Saturday in Mendota with a state berth on the line.

“It’s a dream, I’m not going to lie,” Casas said. “Since the start of the season, we knew we could be playing [the supersectional] at home, and that was our goal.

“It’s going to be a big advantage, because we’re going to be playing at home with all the people from our town there.”

Aurora Central Catholic advanced with a 2-1 win over Richmond Burton in overtime Tuesday.

“Being in our hometown for supersectional is just an amazing feeling,” Mendota junior Sebastian Carlos said. “Our fans are all going to be there. It’s going to be a great atmosphere.

“We’ve been doing our research. I think it will be a great challenge, but I think we can bring it home and advance to state.”

The Trojans and Chargers were locked in a scoreless battle for most of the first half.

Each team had several strong chances early. Hynek fired a free kick that clanged off the crossbar with 36:18 left in the first half, and Mendota’s David Casas had a shot miss just wide right with 28:58 left in the half.

With 8:29 left, the Trojans broke through.

Carlos received a pass from Johan Cortez and blasted a shot as Walton came out of the net, but the ball got under his leg and in to give the Trojans a 1-0 lead, which they carried into halftime and held for the first 30 minutes of the second half.

“I knew I had space toward the box, and I just took it,” Carlos said. “Johan saw me and he gave me a through-ball. I cut in and finished.

“It was amazing. I didn’t really think I was going to score, because the keeper was big. He came out, but I was composed. I placed it and I scored.”

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Members of the Mendota soccer team hoist the Class 1A Sectional trophy after defeating Peoria Christian on Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024 at Chillicothe High School. (Scott Anderson)