By John Cummings

Contributing Writer

With the Centerville boys soccer team sitting atop the first area coaches poll in Division I, it didn’t take the Elks long to get a ringing endorsement.

Centerville out-shot Lebanon (4-1-1) 19-1 in taking a 3-1 win in a showdown between two of the heavyweights in the Greater Western Ohio Conference.

“We knew they were going to be good,” Lebanon coach Steve Poitinger said. “It is hard to simulate in practice what the speed of the game is when you play them. They out-hustled us, out-physicalled us … they are the No. 1 team in Dayton for a reason.”

Centerville didn’t waste any time pinning its ears back and going after the Warriors.

After Sam Hoffman slipped a shot just wide and banged one off the crossbar, he slid a cross to Kevin Seebacher in the box. Seebacher beat the defender and the goalie and slid the ball into the back of the net at the 35:39 mark. Brad Schluter pushed the lead to 2-0 with 31:32 showing on the clock when he beat two defenders and was able to push the ball just inside the near post.

“We had a couple of mistakes in the back and it led to goals,” Poitinger said. “We clean those up and it is a tighter game.”

For most of the rest of the night, the show belonged to Lebanon keeper Tyler Allen and the Elk defense.

Allen, who recorded a season high 12 saves, made several acrobatic saves to keep the game at 2-0. Meanwhile, the Elks were stifling any attempts by the Warriors — allowing one attempt on goal on a header off a throw in with 21:37 left in the contest.

“We stress good defensive organization and good effort and we did both of those things really well tonight,” Centerville coach Brad Loveless said after his squad improved to 5-0. “We did a good job in all places but finishing, but their keeper played a great game. They’re a tough opponent, that’s for sure.”

Huffman added the third Elks goal, finally breaking through after missing wide, hitting a post and being denied by a Warrior defender on the end line, when he beat Allen to the near post on a laser from 30-yards out.

“It took awhile,” Huffman said with a smile. “It was frustrating, but at the same time I was doing my job and taking my chances.”

As for the No. 1 ranking in the area: “Our philosophy is that you got to prove yourself every day,” Loveless said. “Lebanon’s a good side. We talked about them for three days.”