OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Johnson County Community College head men's soccer coach Jeff Cole may have earned the biggest victory of his six-year career Sunday afternoon in Chanute, as his Cavaliers upset No. 5-ranked Neosho County Community College, 2-1, to claim the Region 6 Championship, the first since 2005, and 15th overall.
The No. 15-ranked Cavaliers will head to Iowa for the Plains District Championship against Region 11 champion Iowa Lakes Community College on Friday, November 7. The winner earns a spot in the NJCAA Division II National Tournament at Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita, Kan., November 16-22.
Heading into Sunday's matchup, Johnson County was a clear underdog. Neosho County had posted an 11-2-1 record over the past six seasons, had never lost to JCCC in Chanute, and had defeated the Cavaliers in each of the previous two Region 6 title matches.
But this year belonged to Johnson County. The Cavaliers dominated the first half, outshooting the Panthers 11-5, racing to a 2-0 lead behind a pair of goals from freshman Conor Meyers.
Meyers opened the scoring in the 19th minute when his corner kick sailed over the Neosho defense and into the back corner of the net. Just five minutes later, sophomore Kael Drummond connected with Meyers on a throw in that he headed in to double the lead.
Neosho County's Callum Niven pulled one back in the 33rd minute—his conference-leading 14th goal of the season—but that would be the end of the Panthers' scoring.
Behind a stout defensive line and the steady play of freshman goalkeeper Daniel Wozniek, the Cavaliers held firm for the final 57 minutes to secure the program's first District Final appearance since 2022, and its first since moving to Division II competition.