By Phil Murphy
Content Editor, Digital Sports
**Check below the game story for a video player with complete highlights.**
Over the course of 80 minutes -- 90 on Wednesday -- high school soccer players must avoid defensive breakdowns, referee bookings and sliding bodies. In the 14th edition of the East-West all-star boys' soccer game, grenades were added to that list.
Immediately after Deep Run striker Brian Ownby scored his second goal in the 56th minute of what proved a 3-0 East win, Thomas Dale midfielder Patrick Innes plucked the ball out of the net and motioned his teammates to circle around in front of the East bench.
Then the four-time all-Central District star tossed the ball straight into the air and, as it struck the ground, the ten field players fell to their backs in unison, mimicking an explosion. The on-field celebration served as pristine representation of the light-hearted week of activities at the Virginia High School Coaches' Association All-Star Games.
"They wanted to make some celebrations," said East MVP Ownby, a University of Virginia signee. "It was our last high school game, so to keep it fun, we decided to do some random stuff. They had the grenade celebration, so I guess we did it.
"I think we had a couple more. We did the shoe shining, [too]. I think somebody wanted to knight someone or something like that. It was just have some fun doing some celebrations."
Ownby's finish came by way of a long ball played in from Menchville defender David Hass. Ownby took an aggressive touch to his left and blasted a seven-yard shot past oncoming West goalkeeper Ariel Brown.
"I told David to keep looking for me to check if they're going to cheat in," said Ownby, whose Wildcats won the 2008 VHSL AAA state championship. "They didn't realize I was getting past them like that and I told him to put it over the top... I took it down with my chest, waited for it to hit the ground and I put it in."
While his second goal finished with a grenade, his first commenced with a bullet.
In the 14th minute, Ownby was on the receiving end of another Hass long ball and zipped past his marker before being taken down in the box, drawing a penalty kick. West starting keeper Scott Zaring guessed correctly, but Ownby's attempt had too much behind it and ripped the back netting.
The West's best scoring chance came in the 29th minute. After a clearance by East goalkeeper Justin Wolfe failed to reached midfield, West midfielder Eric Skogerboe slid to dispossess the East midfielder and lined up for a shot with Wolfe retreating to his goal line.
Skogerboe fired from over 30 yards away and his attempt seem destined for goal, but Wolfe leaped backwards in full stride to catch the would-be goal before it reached the touch line.
"I just won the tackle and saw that he was out of position," said West MVP Skogerboe, headed for the Naval Academy. "So I just shot it, but he made a good save again. There was nothing I could do about it."
Added Ronnie Shaban: "He saw me shooting like that in practice, so he tried to copy that."
"Except mine was on frame," Skogerboe quipped.
Skogerboe was one of three Stone Bridge players to be named to the all-star team, including defender Shaban and midfielder Ryan Sullivan. Blacksburg and Jamestown also had three-deep representation.
"These are my best buds," said a short-haired Shaban, whose teammates cut off his patented locks after graduation last month. "As long as we can play together, it's what I want to do."
Email: pmurphy@digitalsports.com
EAST 1 2 -- 0
WEST 0 0 -- 0
Goals:
E - Ownby (14)
E - Ownby (56)
E - Darko (90)