It's going to be Chilli in Columbus on Saturday, Sept. 10 for the Marietta High boys soccer team.
Really.
No, not Chilli as in cool weather-wise but as in the school, Chillicothe, that the Tiger booters are scheduled to play at 11 a.m. at Columbus Crew Stadium.
And, that is cool, if you know what I mean.
"The MHS boys soccer team is taking a page out of the (Marietta) girls playbook this year," said Marietta head coach Todd Morris, whose orange and black team will be playing on the Major League Soccer professional pitch for the first time.
The Jeff Price-coached MHS girls soccer team is 2-up on the boys, having competed on the Crew field last season (and winning 1-0) and the year before (losing 2-0).
To play in Columbus on that September day, the Marietta boys, like the girls before them, will have to become sales persons and knock on doors, so to speak.
"We must sell Crew tickets to do so," Morris said.
The boys soccer team will be selling lower sideline tickets to two Columbus Crew home matches, one versus the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday July 16 and the other against Toronto on Saturday, Sept. 10.
Both pro games are slated to kick off at 7:30 p.m.
Morris said the tickets are $22 apiece (below face value). For more information, coach can be reached at 350-5791, or at toddmorris@suddenlink.net.
"This is a great opportunity for our boys and program to play at Crew Stadium," Morris said.
No question about that.
Plus, anytime the Tigers play the Chilli Cavaliers on the pitch, it's usually a hard-fought match. In past years, it was a Southeastern Ohio Athletic League (SEOAL) game but not this season. On Sept. 10, it'll be a non-league tilt.
This upcoming season, Marietta will be competing in its first campaign as a member of the East Central Ohio League (ECOL). The Tigers graduated seven starters from last fall's squad, but a good core of players like Tim Grosel, Cole Hamilton, Matt Roberts, Brennan Uhrig, Brent Huck, and Steven Stollar are expected back.
Former Parkersburg Big Reds player Zak Boggs plays for the Revolution. In last year's game in Columbus, he scored his first two professional goals against the Crew.
On June 10, the 24-year-old Boggs tallied his first score of the 2011 season against the New York Red Bulls.
Ron Johnston is the Marietta Times sports editor, and can be reached at 376-5441 or at rjohnston@mariettatimes.com
