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O’Neill leads Panthers to historic season

May 29, 2025 PVNPublisher 0

PCHS boys soccer — Senior Sam O'Neill fights for a header in front of the goal during the Panthers' May 22 matchup with Stonewall Jackson.

~ PVN staff report

LURAY, May 29 — The Page County boys soccer team closed out the regular season last week winning seven of their last nine matches. Just two seasons ago, the program was winless. On Monday, the Panthers will host their first Region 2B quarterfinal as the No. 3 seed. A big part of that turn around has been senior Sam O’Neill and his team-leading 17 goals in 2025.

Page County (10-5-1) was also slated to be the No. 3 seed in this week’s planned Bull Run District tournament. However, wet weather forced the tourney down to four teams, and then subsequently forced its cancellation altogether.

O’Neill netted two goals in the Panthers 3-0 win over a solid Stonewall Jackson squad on May 22. That game basically determined the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds for the district and region tournaments. It served as both teams regular season finale, and it marked the first time the PCHS boys soccer program has reached 10 wins in a season.

The senior’s aggressive style is dominant at times on the pitch. From the first kick to the last header, his energy and speed are evident, and his passion drives others to excel around him. The Panthers are a deep team for high school soccer, but they also have some stars — the O’Neill twins (Josh and Sam) and junior Dawson Richards are among the top players in the region.

Page County boys soccer has already made history this season. The 2025 squad has set new standards for the program to strive toward in future seasons — but the story isn’t over yet. Monday’s Region 2B quarterfinal at 6 p.m. at Buddy Comer Stadium offers an opportunity to take the story further; just two more wins means a ticket to the VHSL Class 2 state tournament.

No. 6 Stuarts Draft (7-9) comes to Panther Field on June 2 after finishing fourth in the Shenandoah District (6-6). The three district foes ahead of them were all Class 3 schools — Wilson Memorial (6-5, 6-11); Waynesboro (10-2, 12-4); and Staunton (11-0, 14-1). The Cougars finished just ahead of Ft. Defiance (5-7, 7-9), who is the No. 7 seed in the region.

The complete Region 2B bracket is below — No. 2 Madison is the only team to beat Page County twice this season.