McPherson County

Bullpups Beat Classical 2-0 for Regional Title

McPherson advances to the Class 4-1A state quarterfinals after a lightning-delayed win

Greg Loving, Treg Fawl, Cronkite

30 Oct 2026 • 2 min read

The McPherson boys soccer team, wearing “Fly High Cole + Nick” shirts honoring Cole Adrian and Nick Schafer, poses with the Class 4-1A regional championship plaque after beating Classical School of Wichita 2-0 Thursday at McPherson High School Stadium. (@MHSBullpups)

MCPHERSON, Kan. — The McPherson boys soccer team won the Class 4-1A regional championship Thursday with a 2-0 victory over Classical School of Wichita at McPherson High School Stadium.

After a scoreless first half, Yahir Valadez put the Bullpups ahead early in the second half, and Mason Eisenbarth scored about four minutes later on an assist from Valadez. Head coach Chris Adrian said Classical limited McPherson's attack early, but halftime adjustments opened space for key players. "Yahir also had that look in his eye before the game, like he wasn't going to be denied, and he backed it up with a goal and an assist," Adrian said.

Lightning halted play with about 17 minutes remaining. The match resumed at 9 p.m., and McPherson closed out the shutout. Goalkeeper Hunter Schroeder made four saves, and the Bullpups put four shots on goal.

Adrian singled out freshmen Miguel Alonzo and Leo Gaspar Mendez. "For two freshmen to step onto the field in a regional final and perform the way they did says everything you need to know about them," he said. He also credited a back line that he said "hardly put a foot wrong all night."

It was the Bullpups' third win over Classical this season, following a 5-0 win in September and a 5-2 win in early October. "Beating a quality team three times in one season is incredibly difficult," Adrian said. "More than anything, I'm just happy that we've earned another opportunity to be together and compete for another day."

Players wore "Fly High Cole + Nick" shirts honoring Cole Adrian, son of head coach Chris Adrian, and Nick Schafer. McPherson (13-5) will play at Berean Academy (13-4-1) in Elbing in the Class 4-1A state quarterfinals Monday. The Warriors beat Wichita Trinity Academy 8-0 in their regional final Thursday. The winner advances to Wednesday’s semifinal, with the state championship Saturday, Nov. 7, at Hummer Sports Park in Topeka.

This article was written using our proprietary AI system, Cronkite. The final decision to publish this article was made by a human. For more info, read our AI policy.

Found a mistake? Have a news tip or feedback to share? Contact our newsroom using the button below:

Sign up for more like this.