South-Doyle’s Senior Night never really got the chance to become a game Thursday night.
Then again, the last three seasons have been about more than one night, one opponent or one ceremony.
Lightning stopped South-Doyle’s non-district match against Oneida after 20 minutes, and after a 50-minute delay, the teams returned to the field for only 31 seconds before more lightning forced the cancellation.
The scoreboard did not matter much.
The larger picture did.
The Cherokees, 9-1-1 and 3-0 in District 5-AA, are chasing a third straight trip to the state tournament.
They won a state championship in 2024, finished runner-up last season and now, with a senior class 17 players strong, are trying to make one more postseason push that would further define this era of South-Doyle soccer.
Experience brings both burden and privilege — and the Cherokees know it.
“This team has no experience like I’ve coached,” South-Doyle coach Sam Mitchell said. “They’ve played big games, they’ve won championships, and they’ve experienced all the things you would want them to.
“They’ve been there, and they know how badly they want to get back. Their work ethic, their drive, their determination, everything they want comes from that experience as well.”
South-Doyle is not talking about getting a taste of the state tournament.
The Cherokees are talking about reclaiming something.
Senior forward Cameron Harp did not dance around that reality.
“We’ve been (to state) two years already, and we just want to keep doing it,” Harp said. “We won the first time and lost the second time, and it feels good (to get there), but we want it even more because we want to get our state title back.
“We were there, and we were so close and we lost,” Harp said. “We want to win it again — not just for our team, but also so our school can get another state title.”
Harp has nine goals, second on the team and tied with Jude Straussfogel. He also has a team-high six assists. Senior midfielder Roger Oseguera Cruz leads South-Doyle with 15 goals.
On one hand, the Cherokees have accomplished more than most teams ever do. On the other, that success has sharpened rather than softened their edge. Last year’s runner-up finish did not feel like closure. It felt like unfinished business.
Senior defender Isaiah Mitchell said that mindset comes naturally to a group that has already lived through deep postseason runs.
“It’s a familiar feeling because we definitely have the talent to go back and do it,” he said. “It’s a little different on the senior side because we’re the leaders of the team now.”
With that blend of talent, depth and experience, it is easy to see why senior defender Finn Straussfogel believes the ceiling is as high as any South-Doyle team has had.
“I think this could be the best team that we’ve had,” Straussfogel said. “Once we put all the pieces together, we’re absolutely phenomenal.”
Straussfogel acknowledged both the pressure and the gratitude that come with being part of a class that has helped define the program’s best stretch.
“With it being senior year, I feel pressure because I want to do something special for my last year, but I’m also happy with what we’ve been able to achieve, so we’re just taking everything step-by-step,” he said. “I definitely want to savor every moment we get — I love playing with this team.
“It’s been absolutely amazing. It probably hasn’t quite hit me yet that this is it — and I’ll be sad whenever it ends — but it’s been amazing.”
Thursday offered only a brief look at South-Doyle before the weather intervened, but the opening 20 minutes fit the broader script. The Cherokees generated early pressure with a cross in front of goal in the third minute, a shot wide in the fourth, another attempt deflected in the 11th and multiple chances on goal in the 13th and 15th. Corner kicks kept coming. The attack kept pressing. Then the storm arrived.
South-Doyle’s season, of course, is not on pause.
District matches against Alcoa and Kingston still loom, beginning with Friday’s trip to Alcoa. Those are the matches that will shape postseason positioning and reveal how ready the Cherokees are for another run.
But the standard has already been set. This senior class is not simply trying to have a memorable final season. It is trying to leave with South-Doyle back on top.
Oneida coach David Blevins said the cancellation was frustrating mostly because of what could have been learned from finishing against a high-level opponent.
“I really wish we could have played the rest of the game tonight,” Blevins said. “We had an excellent opponent, and my guys were doing great. It was all-around a good night — the only disappointing thing is that we didn’t get a finish.”
The Indians are 5-4-2 and 3-0 in District 2-A with important matches against Rockwood and Eagleton remaining.
“I think our defense did a great job tonight,” Blevisn said. “They tightened up and buckled down, and they were covering the zones they needed to. They’ve grown a lot in the past couple of years. We’ve really been blessed with a great group of boys.”
Article written by Dean Fox/5Star Preps. To read more on area high school sports or to see photo galleries, videos, stat leaders, etc., visit 5StarPreps.com — and use promo code HAMMERS for 30% off your first year or month subscription.
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