While Warren’s defense shut down North East’s top two goal scorers, Tyler Bessetti scored his second goal of the season 12 minutes into the first half off of a corner kick and deflection, and the Grape Pickers held off the Dragons’ furious attempts to tie the game.

No. 8-seeded North East (13-4-2) advances to the D10 2A quarterfinals against top-seeded Fairview (11-3-3) at 8 p.m. Tuesday at Cathedral Prep’s Hagerty Family Events Center. After starting 0-3, Warren’s season ends at 12-6-1.

“Our boys gave everything out there, and we couldn’t be more proud,” said Warren first-year head coach Steffen Blair. “North East has some really good players in the middle of the field, but we did well as a team to stay disciplined and frustrate them. Our back line had another strong performance. Dakota (Sliter), Alex (Eaton), Chase (Sitler), and Casey (Rich) were in control the whole way. Their only real chances came from set pieces, and that ended up being the difference.”

Warren made it a focus to stop North East juniors Will Vanderweele and Joel Morey, who had accounted for half of the Grapepickers’ 68 goals in 18 regular-season matches. That worked, but Bessetti put away a corner kick that had deflected off Warren’s goalie’s hands in front of the net.

Photos courtesy of Mark Evans Warren junior Gavin Rex kicks past the North East goalie and a defender, just off the goal post, during the Dragons’ 1-0 District 10 2A playoff loss to the Grapepickers on Saturday at Veterans Stadium in Erie.

“Our offense came alive in the second half,” said Blair. “The midfield did a better job connecting the field, and Gavin (Rex) was dominant on and off the ball. We had some really good looks at goal in the final 40 minutes. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to put them away today.”

In fact, Rex dribbled alongside a North East defender for quite a few yards before a left-footed kick around the defender bounced off the right goal post. Another Rex shot missed just over the top crossbar.

“The loss yesterday was a painful blow, but we played with 100 percent effort for 80 minutes,” said Rex. “Everyone stepped up and supported and communicated with each other very well. It’s going to be hard losing the two seniors, but I’m confident that the team will step up and come back stronger.”

Rex was a junior team captain along with Sliter, one of just two Warren seniors with defender Alex Eaton.

“It was a tough start to the season,” Rex said of the Dragons’ 0-3 start after graduating eight seniors from last season. “The team was trying to figure out new positions and wasn’t playing with confidence. We stepped up throughout the season and I would say that we played very well throughout every (remaining) game. Everyone is ready to return better than ever for next season.

“North East also had opportunities on Saturday that just missed, including hitting a goal post. Warren sophomore goalie Adon Maier finished with six saves. Juniors Finn Ordiway (11) and Sitler (13) led Warren in steals.

Defensively, sophomore midfielder Quinn Norris led Warren in steals for the season with 215 and Sitler also surpassed 200. Offensively, all of Warren’s goal scorers return next season, including Ordiway’s 17 and junior Jack Chapman’s 16 this season.

“I’m really proud of how much this team has grown this season,” said Blair. “It wasn’t the ending we wanted, but we’ll come back better for it.”