John Bruce, Staff Writer
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by Holzer Health System.
WHEELERSBURG – In a season-opening matchup between two of the top boys soccer squads in a loaded Southern Ohio Conference title race, 80 minutes was not enough to decide a winner on Tuesday night.
Wheelersburg struck first, with Valley quickly responding, before both teams played outstanding defense to begin their 2026 campaigns with a 1-1 draw.
The two teams are entering 2026 with similar goals, but are doing so with a very different groups of returners.
Last season, the Pirates were regional champions and graduated three All-Ohioans, amongst a loaded group of seniors. Meanwhile, the Indians won 13 games of their own and finished as a district runner-up. This fall, they’re chocked full of upperclassmen with 17 on the current roster.
With the two programs appearing to be starting the season heading in two different directions — on paper — they played extremely even on the pitch all night long.
Defense was the name of the game in the opening 20 minutes with Nick Queen, Thad Lansing and the Indians keeping Wheelersburg from breaching their backline. The Pirates’ defense held its own as well, led by Gilberto Duarte and Chase Blackburn, managing to keep Valley from finding the back of the net.
“We have a new backline that had never really played defense before,” Wheelersburg coach Jon Estep said of his defense. “Chase [Blackburn] and [Duarte] had never played defense until their club season. Owen Artrip had never played it until last year and Ethan Mullins had never played it until JV last season. They have worked extremely hard.”
Valley’s attack was led by Jaxsyn Bender, Caysen Zieber, Elijah Keller and Elliott Franke — a strong group that would challenge the Pirates’ new-look back line.
After sending consistent pressure forward to no avail early on, the Indians finally put a ball into the back of the net at the 22-minute mark. But they were whistled for offsides due to a late step forward after an initial clearance.
Wheelersburg (0-0-1) took advantage of the temporary reprieve and they did so with a hungry, young player in Corban Stratton.
CREDIT: Raymond Gleadle/SOSA
The talented sophomore, who missed last season with an injury, got his best early look with a quick change of direction, before ripping a low shot inside the far post with 10:13 to play in the half, giving the Pirates a 1-0 lead.
“He loves this game and he’s worked hard since November to get back to where he is today,” Estep said of Stratton. “He’s had a good summer and he’s one of the guys that we want to have the ball on his foot. I’m proud of him for being able to have that moment tonight.”
After the goal, Valley (0-0-1) responded in a major way as Keller scored a gorgeous goal from the left side of the pitch at the 7:30 mark in the half.
He brought the ball down the left side before cutting back and launching a rocket towards the far post, just going off the keeper’s hands and sliding just below the crossbar to make it 1-1.
“It felt good that we didn’t drop our heads,” Valley coach Jacob Perry said of his team’s response. “Seeing the guys bring the fight right back, instead of hanging our heads, which is something we’ve been preaching, was awesome.”
As time ticked away, neither team could impose their will on the other.
The physicality of the game increased, with both squads responding well, though a foul with just under 20 minutes to play in the contest did give the Pirates a free kick from just over 30 yards out. The kick just grazed the top of the crossbar and went out of play, leading to the eventual draw.
“Knowing that we could still play hard and intense in a composed fashion showed our maturity,“ Perry said of his Indians. “We didn’t get lazy when we got tired late in the match. If you make that lazy tackle near the box against a team like Wheelersburg, they are going to capitalize on that.”
Both teams will be back in action on Thursday, looking for their first win of the season. Valley will head to Tigertown to take on Waverly, while Wheelersburg heads just south of MuleTown to take on Minford.
“The one thing that has been the most consistent for our team in the preseason has been their hard work,“ Estep said. “We’ve challenged our guys in the preseason. Our guys know that every game is going to be a dogfight like this and I look forward to the progress that we are going to make.”
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