West Muskingum secured a historic 3-2 victory in a penalty-kick shootout against Wheelersburg following a 2-2 draw in regulation during the Division IV regional final on November 8 at Logan High School's Chieftain Stadium. Goalkeeper Bryce Stant made a crucial save in the shootout, and Austin Fink converted the game-winning penalty kick to propel the Tornadoes to the state tournament.
The Tornadoes built a 2-0 lead early in the second half behind goals from Gray Knowlton in the first minute and Aiden Metz around the 10-minute mark. Wheelersburg, ranked No. 2 in the Ohio Scholastic Soccer Coaches Association poll, rallied with two goals in the final six minutes of regulation before both teams went scoreless through two sudden-death overtime periods, setting up the dramatic shootout.
With the win, West Muskingum improved to 17-2-3 overall, claiming a school-record total for victories and becoming just the second Muskingum Valley League team to reach the OHSAA Final Four. The Tornadoes advance to face Wheelersburg's perennial state rival or the next opponent in the state tournament.