BICYCLE KICK … Archbold’s Rudy Rodger (above) had three goals and an assist as Archbold won at Evergreen, 5-1.
PHOTOS BY JACOB KESSLER / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
NWOAL BATTLE … Evergreen sophomore Landon Kiefer controls the ball in an open area of the Archbold defense.
By: Joe Blystone
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
METAMORA (September 18, 2025) – The best thing about freshmen is that they will become sophomores. Evergreen has suffered through some of those growing pains associated with starting as many as six freshmen in a match.
Those difficulties became apparent against Archbold and Rudy Rodger was the biggest benefactor, scoring three goals as Archbold broke a 1-1 tie early in the second half, and knocked off Evergreen 5-1.
Actually, it was a first half miscue that helped Archbold take the lead. The Vikings blocked a centering pass into the scoring zone but couldn’t clear the ball and Rodger was near the doorstep, scoring with 12:00 left in the clock to give his team a 1-0 lead.
Evergreen answered back just over three minutes later when Daniel Hernandez stuck a penalty kick in the back of the net to knot the score with 8:53 left.
However, a minute into the second half the Vikings bad luck on the night began. Trey Weirauch’s rolling attempt to the net seemingly was easily cradled by goalie Alex Mossing, but somehow inexplicably got into the net to give Archbold the lead for good.
Then in the last 15 minutes, Archbold scored three times, twice off Viking errors. A lob into the middle left four Evergreen players standing and Carson Armstrong punched the bouncing ball into the net with 15 minutes left.
Then Rodger struck twice again, the last when Hernandez and Mossing bumped into each other in front of the net, leaving the goal open.
Archbold (9-1, 3-1 NWOAL) – Goals: Rudy Rodger 3, Carson Armstrong, Quinn Sauder; Assists: Rudy Rodger, Quinn Sauder 2, Rocco Rodger
Evergreen (2-6-2, 1-3 NWOAL) – Goal: Daniel Hernandez