League championship sneaks up on history-making John Glenn soccer team

BANGOR TOWNSHIP, MI – There was no dogpile celebration.

Nobody got carried off the field and they didn't dance off in victory.

But for the first time ever, the John Glenn Bobcats are Tri-Valley Conference Red boys soccer champions. They just didn't know it.

"We didn't find out until we left the huddle," Glenn senior Landon Kogelman said. "We were walking away and the parents were screaming 'We won the TVC!'

"Either way, it's cool making history."

No. 11-ranked Glenn (14-0-2, 6-0-2) came into its showdown with defending league champion Alma knowing it could clinch the program's first TVC Red title – and first league title of any kind since winning the North East Michigan Conference in 2005 – with a victory. Nobody bothered to check if a tie would do the trick.

So after the Bobcats battled Alma to a 2-2 draw Monday in Albert E. Johnson Stadium, there was no unbridled joy that normally accompanies championship moments.

"One of the kids said 'I think we won the league.' And I looked to see if I could figure it out," Glenn coach Brian Scherzer said. "And I said 'Hey, we did!'

"We'll celebrate tomorrow at practice."

It does get a bit confusing because five of the six teams in the TVC Red have at least one tie, and not all of them have the same amount of games remaining. But even if Glenn loses its final two league contests, it will still have the equivalent of seven wins and no other team can get more than 6.5.

Remarkably, if Glenn had lost to Alma, all but one team in the TVC Red would still be in contention for the title with two games to play. That shows the incredible parity in the league – outside of Glenn.

Glenn hasn't been far better than its league competition, but it has found a way to get this far into the campaign without a single loss, making its title trek all the more impressive.

"We really went into this season trying to win the league," said Kogelman, a standout midfielder for the Bobcats. "Knowing Alma was good again - and so were a lot of other teams – we knew it was going to be tough. You can see in our league, everybody is losing to each other, so it's a tough league. That's why it's so cool that we're kind of dominating."

Glenn's only other boys soccer title came 19 years ago – before anybody on this year's team was born – when the Bobcats competed with the likes of Ogemaw Heights, Oscoda and Tawas in the NEMC. That squad posted a program-best 17-1-1 record under coach Liviu Gligor.

Glenn matched that victory total last season when it finished second to Alma in the TVC Red title chase. So when the Bobcats gathered for the start of the 2024 campaign, they felt like something special was brewing.

"We play like brothers," Kogelman said. "We have each other's backs and play as a team. A lot of us have played together for years. It's pretty special for us to be together now and doing amazing things for John Glenn."

With the return of a senior group that includes Kogelman, Ruben Rivera, Drew Bailey, Lucas Blossom, Carter Glaza and Trent Phillips, the Bobcats had their fourth-year head coach brimming with optimism.

"When we had conditioning in the summer, I could see how much they improved in the offseason," Scherzer said. "I was hoping that was more than just me being hopeful – and it was. These guys have been incredible.

"They've exceeded my expectations. I thought we'd be in great shape, but I didn't think we could do this without a loss. I have faith and trust in my guys, and I really believed they were ready for this. But I don't think anybody expected us to go this far undefeated."

With league games remaining against Freeland and Saginaw Swan Valley, the Bobcats are honed in on keeping a zero in the loss column. It nearly got away Monday when Alma rose to the occasion like the champion it is.

Gunning for the title-clinching victory, Glenn came out strong and built a 2-0 first-half lead. Asher Clark added to his storybook season – scoring in every game but one – with a penalty-kick goal for the 1-0 lead. Trent Phillips converted a pass from Clark into the second goal of the contest.

But Alma wouldn't go away. The Panthers scratched out two second-half goals to forge the 2-2 tie.

"I love playing them because they're so hard to play," Scherzer said. "It brings the level of play up in our boys.

"We wanted to win tonight, for sure. But a tie in this situation is still quite an accomplishment."

In the history of boys soccer in Bay County, only three league titles have been claimed. Essexville Garber won the Tri-Valley Conference East in 2018 and Glenn now owns the other two championships. Now the Bobcats can shift their focus to winning a district crown, a feat never accomplished in program history.

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