Head Coach: Michael Biros

(330)807-6461

Asst Coach: John Gonzalez

(330) 704-8860

Jackson Shutout in the Regional Final, 1-0.

The difference on the scoreboard would be a converted penalty kick midway through the first half for St. Ignatius. The Wildcats (17-1-3)  locked up the Polar Bears' offense for much of the match, however both teams would get only a handful of chances to score. It was a tough, defensive battle with both teams scratching and clawing for possession at midfield. Unfortunately for Jackson, the Wildcats were a bit more successful at it, especially in the second part of the first half. That pressure led to the scoring chance and foul which set up the penalty. The Polar Bears stepped up strong over the last twenty minutes of the match and created a few great chances to score. Nothing came closer for either team than Evan McCreary's header that went off the crossbar, the football goalpost, and crossbar again in the game's last minute! 

"We had some chances," said Jackson Coach Michael Biros. "In the end, we were not able to possess the ball like we wanted or needed to. We needed to get more pressure on their defense going forward and we didn't do it enough. Credit goes to St. Ignatius, as they were all over the field putting pressure on us, and were very good in the air." Coach Biros wouldn't comment on the penalty kick, however he did say any penalty kick in a game of this magnitude will forever be controversial. "Both teams are going to argue for it and against it." added Biros. "I am proud of how our guys played. We did a solid job defensively on some very creative forwards." 

Polar Bears (17-3-1) end another amazing season in which they dominated their league and district. Over the past two seasons, Jackson has won 35 matches, 2 league titles, 2 district titles, and a trip to the state championship match. Jackson will graduate a large and very successful senior class. Dustin Kiaski and Evan McCreary were four year starters and won 59 matches over their career! The Polar Bears will still come back  next year, as good as ever with many underclassmen returning along with a terrific group of players looking to move to the varsity squad from a strong reserve team. 

Eagles' Wings are Clipped! Jackson Advances to Regional Final.

The Polar Bears (17-2-1) defeated GlenOak (14-3-3) 3-0 at the Kent Roosevelt Soccer Stadium on Tuesday evening. It was a cold, blustery evening with snow flying in the air. The Golden Eagles came out with some good initial pressure and got off the game's first shot, but that would be it. Jackson seized control and created several near-misses before Evan McCreary put the Bears in the lead in the 10th minute. The Polar Bears were relentless in their pressure as they continued to mount attack after attack. Unfortunately, they would only push one more ball into the goal to take a 2-0 lead into the intermission. Quebec Gibbins nailed a 25-yard shot that took a couple of deflections and went in midway through the half.

The second half was more of the same for Jackson, as the defensive  made it an easy night for goalie Evan Biedenbach. Dustin Kiaski scored the knockout blow in the 54th minute with a nifty back-heel goal off a loose ball in the box. Jackson would finish with 16 shots on net, but created many more dangerous chances to score througout the match. Three goals would be it, but it was more than enough. "We played a solid all-around game," noted Jackson Coach Michael Biros. "Defensively, we did a great job against a solid group of attackers. We also linked well together and created a lot of chances to score. We must be better finishing those chances during our next match."

Defensively, Greg Marchand,  Derek Zuniga, Matt Lawrence, and Brian Zilla along with the rest of the team were stellar tonight as they not only stuffed the potent GlenOak attack all night, they started much of the attack that proved to be a difference maker tonight. GlenOak only were able to record two shots on goal.  They earned their 12th shutout of the season, and their 27th shutout over the past two years. 

Jackson advances to the Regional Championship match against St. Ignatius on Saturday afternoon. Match time is 3pm at Rocky River High School in the Cleveland area. It is the third time in the last five years the Polar Bears have reached the Elite 8. It is a rematch of the 2004 Regional Championship in which the Wildcats were victorious and went on to the state championship that year.

Ohio State Division 1 Regional Brackets

Jackson takes District Championship! 

The top seeded Polar Bears (16-2-1) defeated Stow 5-3 on Saturday night.  Jackson wasted no time seizing control as Derek Zuniga found Evan McCreary for a gorgeous header goal just 29 seconds into the match. The Bears would continue the enslaught as Dustin Kiaski would assist goals to Jordan Robinson-Williams and McCreary again to take a commanding 3-0 lead midway though the first half. Stow would take some momentum into half, as a shot got redirected out of a routine save and deflected in, but Jackson led 3-1 at half. 

The Bears came out strong in the second half and pushed the score to 4-1 as Zuniga provided another quality cross that was finished by Danny Baraldi. The '06 state champs would not go quietly into the night. They stung the Bears for two more goals later in the half to cut the lead to just one goal. However, McCreary would seal the match just moments later with his third goal of the match, and the Bears claimed a 5-3 district final victory. "I wouldn't expect anything different from a Jackson-Stow match." noted Jackson's coach Michael Biros. "With as much history as we have with Stow over the years, we keep inventing new ways to make matches quite dramatic. We came out of the gates well, but finished the game rather in a less-than-stellar way. We know we must finish games much stronger than they way we have the past couple of matches. These are the playoffs and we are fortunate we were able to hold our lead against one of the top offenses in the state." 

 Jackson moves on to play Federal League rival GlenOak (14-2-3) on Tuesday night in the "sweet 16". It is a rematch of the top teams in the league this year. The game is scheduled to be at Kent Roosevelt High School. Match time is 7pm.  

Ohio State Division 1 2008 Final State Regional Brackets

Bears Roll into the District Final.

The top seeded Polar Bears (16-2-1) defeated Twinsburg 4-0 in the Kent district semis on Wednesday evening. Jackson scored a quick technical knockout as they scored three times in the first fifteen minutes into the match. Danny Baraldi found Dustin Kiaski off a well delivered free kick from outside in the 8th minute. Two minutes later, Baraldi scored off a nice cross from Jimmy Costin, and Costin delivered another beautiful pass to Jordan Robinson-Williams to notch the third goal. 

Jackson started off the second half a little slow, and the Tigers were finally able to mount a couple of chances to score. However, the Bears were able to still create a couple of quality scoring chances. In the 52nd minute, Baraldi tallied his second of the night as he connected with a Dustin Kiaski centering pass and that took the score to 4-0. "We came out fast and kept the pressure on early." noted Jackson coach Michael Biros. "We were dangerous many times early, and made it pay off." Jackson earned its 11th shutout of the season tonight as they held Twinsburg to just 3 shots all evening. Goalie Evan Biedenbach was called on to make one save, but snared a couple of long balls in the box to avoid a couple of dangerous chances.

Jackson moves on to play Stow on Saturday night at 7pm. Stow (13-3-2) defeated Hudson 4-2 on Wednesday evening. It will be the 7th time in 8 years that Jackson and Stow will square off in the state playoffs.

Jackson Defeats Barberton. Advance to Districts

The top seeded Polar Bears (14-2-1) defeated Barberton 7-0 Saturday evening in the Kent Div I Sectional Final. Jackson advances to the districts for the seventh straight season and will host Twinsburg (7-5-5) on Wednesday evening at 7pm. Twinsburg defeated Ellet 7-0 to advance themselves. Jackson controlled the action as Barberton were unable to mount a serious threat to the Jackson goal. However, the Magics were tough on defense as they bent but did not break throughout the first half. They turned away many shots and crosses from the Bears, including several highlight-type saves. Jackson took a 2-0 lead into half although it didn't take long for Jackson to score in the second frame to put the match away. Evan McCreary and Jordan Robinson-Williams each tallied twice for Jackson. Derek Zuniga, Danny Baraldi, and Brock Emrick added goals as well. Robinson-Williams added 3 assists and Dustin Kiaski assisted two others. 

Jackson Wins the Fed Outright with Convincing Victory

The Polar Bears (13-2-1, 7-0-0) defeat rival Hoover 3-0 on the road to claim their second straight Federal League championship while going undefeated in league play. The Vikings (10-5-1) were determined in their commitment to styme Jackson's attack, and were successful for the first fifty minutes of the match. However, the Polar Bears would finally strike off a header goal from Evan McCreary in the 53rd minute. Just four minutes later, Jimmy Costin would push the game out of reach as his shot was cleared off the line, but deflected off a couple players into the net. Joey Dennis would add a late goal off a penalty which he earned by weaving around a couple Viking defenders only to be tripped en route to the goal. Jackson's defense was key tonight as they blew up Hoover's attack well before they could get anything going as a team. The Vikings did not register an official shot on goal, but did create a couple dicey situations that the Bears did well to take care of. The Bears' defense also did well controlling the pace of the match with possession as they continually switched the ball from side to side looking for space to penentrate. "The Boys earned a tough victory tonight," commented Jackson coach Michael Biros. "We controlled the run of play throughout the match, but weren't getting it to show on the scoreboard. We didn't panic or get frustrated and that was key for us! Hoover is a very strong defensive team this year, and played well again last night. We just stayed after it and kept working really hard to get the match winner."

The Polar Bears dominated the Federal League once again this season posting a 7-0 record while outscoring opponents 37-1. The League has been much improved as well, with GlenOak, Lake, and Hoover all posting 10 win seasons that include several wins over the top teams in the Akron area.  "Our team did a nice job of preparing for our League games." said Biros. "We set our goals at the beginning of the season and the first one is to win the league. Fed teams did very well in non-conference matches this fall, so there is some meaning to winning the title this fall, especially in the manner in which the boys got it. The next is to win the district. We will have our work cut out for us though, as we will have to defeat some very tough squads to move on!" Jackson finishes the regular season recording 13 wins, nine of them via shutouts. They will take a bye in the first round of the state tournament and play the winner of Barberton and Massillon next Saturday (Oct 18th) at 7pm at home. 

Jackson reserve squads finished up their seasons with ties against Hoover. Both teams outplayed their opponents, but couldn't find the net. JV-Gold finished the season very strong with some great play over the last few weeks of the season. They ended up with a 13-2-1 record this fall and the JV-Purple squad finished 6-4-4. The records are very good, but their development throughout the season was more important, as they continued to improve and play an attractive style to ready themselves to play at the Varsity level. The future for the Polar Bears continues to look very strong, congrats on a great 2008 campaign.

... and McCreary steals the show!

Evan McCreary's last minute goal gave Jackson (11-2-1) a dramatic come-from-behind 3-2 victory at Wadsworth Saturday evening. McCreary accounted for all three Jackson goals on a night when his team needed it. Jackson looked good early and created several scoring opportunities. In the 8th minute, Danny Baraldi beat a Grizzly defender in the corner and served a perfect cross to McCreary for the header goal. Wadsworth would even things up in the 22nd minute as a rebound shot off a corner kick deflected in. Although the Polar Bears controlling much of the play, Wadsworth would take the lead in the 50th minute off a long shot. Jackson didn't quit, and pressed on the attack. McCreary would equalize at the 62nd minute off a nice feed from Jimmy Costin. The Polar Bears continued to push for the win and came close several times, including a crossbar off a 30 yard shot from Joey Dennis. In the final minutes of the match, Jackson created several scrambles in the box, but we unable to push one past the Grizzly keeper until McCreary's last minute follow-up finish off another centering pass from Costin. "Despite the goals the past couple games, we are played better defensively." said Jackson coach Michael Biros. "We really limited their possession and goal-scoring chances. We just need to be more consistent in all facets of the game to stop teams from scoring. Offensively, we just need a little more quality on our services and a better finishing."

Last Tuesday, McCreary lead the way with two goals for the Polar Bears (6-0 in league play) as they clinched a share of the Federal League Championship by defeating Lake 3-0 on the road. Danny Baraldi also scored, Dustin Kiaski added two more assists, and the defense led by Greg Marchand, Derek Zuniga, Brian Zilla, Joey Dennis, Matt Lawrence, and goalie Evan Biedenbach styfled the Lake attack for the shutout. They have a one game lead over GlenOak (5-1-0 in league play) and will travel to Hoover on Saturday (Oct 11th).

This past Thursday, Jackson jumped out to a quick lead at home against Copley. But, the Suburban League champs battled back to tie it quickly. The game would go back and forth, but good chances for either team were few and far between as the scoreline held at 1-1. Senior Dustin Kiaski scored the Jackson goal. It was Senior night, and the team wishes to thank the Senior players, parents, and families for their time, dedication, and effort to support the high school soccer program. Best of luck the rest of the way!   

Jackson finishes up the regular season this week with two great matches. First, they will host Walsh Jesuit on Thursday evening at 7:30pm. Then, on Saturday the Polar Bears travel to Hoover to play at 7pm. Jackson also received at #1 seed in the Kent Division 1 District Draw for the 2008 State Tournament. #2 Stow, #3 Hudson, and #4 Twinsburg rounds out the seeds. Jackson will host the winner of Barberton and Massillon on Saturday, October 18th at 7pm

Shoremen Put on Leave.

Jackson (9-2-0) defeats Avon Lake 5-1 Saturday afternoon. Dustin Kiaski headed home a Danny Baraldi cross in the game's first minute and the Polar Bears never looked back. Despite several chances to score in the half, Jackson only mustered a Baraldi goal and took a 2-0 lead into intermission. Jackson tallied three more times early in the second half to push the score up to 5-0. The Shoremen salvaged a late goal amid a couple of quality chances they created. "We got off to a great start," commented Jackson Coach Michael Biros. "We created some very dangerous chances to score. Defensively, we did a good job of limiting scoring opportunities. The back line also did a great job of possessing the ball and starting several attacks." 

Last Tuesday, Jackson remained undefeated in the Federal League (5-0-0) as they defeated Boardman 4-0 in Youngstown. The Polar Bears faced a stiff defensive gameplan from the Spartans, and needed 43 minutes to finally get on the board. Derek Zuniga led the Bears with a goal and an assist. Jackson's defense held Boardman to only 2 shots and goalkeeper Evan Biedenbach notched his 7th shutout of the season.

It's a big week for the Bears. On Tuesday, Jackson travels to Lake for a key Federal League match. Thursday night, Jackson hosts Copley before traveling to Wadsworth on Saturday night. Thursday night, the Polar Bears will salute their Seniors and their parents for all their hard work and dedication in a pregame ceremony. It will also be youth nite and all Jackson Select youth players will be honored at halftime. Don't miss it! 

Bears Can't Hold On in Toledo!

Jackson (7-2-0) takes a 1-0 lead into half, but cannot keep Anthony Wayne (8-0-2) from a comeback. The home side scored three goals in the final fifteen minutes to take a 3-1 victory Saturday afternoon. Danny Baraldi capped a solid first half performance as he polished off a Jimmy Costin pass to put the Bears into the lead. Shortly before half, disaster struck as a collision amongst several players and two Bears were knocked out of the game. "It seemed to deflate us," commented Coach Biros regarding the injuries. "We talked at halftime, that there would be no excuses. We had a lead, and our defense  should take us home. However, we completely went away from what makes us successful and we didn't have the necessary energy to hold off a great attack that Anthony Wayne has." We played a decent first half, but just could not finish the game." Jackson was off-track the majority of the second half, and the Generals took advantage.Jackson still were able to create some offense in the second frame, and missed a couple chances to go up two in the half, as well as regain the lead after the tie. Jackson JV-Gold defeated Anthony Wayne 1-0. 

The Polar Bears travel to Youngstown on Tuesday evening to battle Boardman in a key Federal League match. On Saturday, the Bears will host a matinee game with Avon Lake (2pm). The Walsh Jesuit match will be played on Thursday, October 9th at 7:30pm at home.   

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Bears Seize Control of the Fed!

Jackson (7-1-0) stands alone in first place after their 8-0 win against Canton McKinley at home Tuesday evening. Evan McCreary and Jimmy Costin led the way with 2 goals and an assist a piece. The Polar Bears also took down their sixth shutout of the season, including five in a row. "The defense has been a solid team effort so far this season." noted Jackson coach Michael Biros. "They have played well since the first game, and everyone has contributed. The team defense has styfled our opponents attacks, and our goalkeeping has been solid when tested." Over their 7 game win streak, Jackson has given up less than 20 shots overall. Jackson's attack has been solid, but hasn't hit on all cylinders as yet. According to Biros, a few injuries and some illness have hampered the lineup from being at full strength. However, that hasn't stopped the Polar Bears from averaging nearly five goals a game. 

Jackson (4-0-0) sits atop the Federal League standings after the fourth round of games. They are game ahead of second place GlenOak, who was defeated by the Bears back in week one. Jackson was also ranked 8th in this week's State Poll in Division I. Things will get tougher as the Bears head to the road. It starts with a trip to Toledo to play Anthony Wayne. The Generals are undefeated and ranked 10th in the State's Div I poll. The Polar Bears were scheduled to play Walsh Jesuit last weekend, however the foul weather postponed the match.  

Jackson Makes it 6-in-a-row!

Polar Bears (6-1-0) cruise to an 8-0 win over Federal League rival Perry Tuesday evening. Senior Jordan Robinson-Williams led the way with a hat-trick, and Greg Marchand added 2 goals and an assist. The Jackson defense also earned their 4th straight shutout and now have 5 on the season. Senior Goalkeeper Evan Biedenbach has only allowed 1 goal over the win streak. In past results, Jackson defeated a strong Solon team 1-0 on Saturday evening. Jimmy Costin scored the game winner in the first half as Jackson's attack was marred with several near misses on goal. "It has been good to see the team re-emerge the urgency to defend." said Jackson coach Michael Biros. "We have also battled with key players out of the lineup with injuries and illness, so it has been nice to see our depth play roles in getting victories over some tough opponents." 

Jackson (3-0 in league play) stands  in first place in the Federal League standings with a game lead on GlenOak. On Saturday, Jackson hosts Walsh Jesuit at 7pm. It is also youth nite. All Boys wearing their Jackson Select uniforms will enter the game for free and be recognized at half time. 

Jackson Cages the Bulldogs

Polar Bears opened their home stand  Saturday evening in fashion as they defeated Green 4-0. Jimmy Costin paved the way for Jackson as his early goal set the tone for the match. He would finish with two goals and an assist on the evening. Derek Zuniga and Kolten Miller scored as well. Dustin Kiaski also added his fourth assist of the season.  Evan Biedenbach notched his second shutout of the season, even though the team was forced to go without two defensive starters on Saturday.  "We have always prided ourselves on our depth as a team." commented Jackson coach Michael Biros. " We have quality players ready for their chance to prove themselves and it showed tonight. We need to continue to play as a tight knit team, where one player is not counted on to have to do too much. We really played together tonight and you can see the team enjoyed playing tonight."  Jackson's home stand continues on Tuesday evening as they host Austintown Fitch and Saturday evening against Solon.

Bears Return to Form in Hudson

After a difficult start to the season, the refocused Bears took just a minute to open the scoring at Hudson. A place known to be impossible for road teams to win, Jackson found themselves playing with speed and confidence over much of the match en route to a 4-0 win over the Explorers. Dustin Kiaski led the way with a goal and two assists and Evan Biedenbach (5 saves) recorded his first shutout of the season. Jackson led 2-0 at half, and added two goals in the second period to ice the match. Both teams played hard as every loose ball was challenged. There were also many collisions as neither team would back down. "To win at Hudson is not an easy thing to do." noted Jackson Coach Michael Biros. "We played pretty well to start the game and that carried us."

Jackson (2-1) finished their road trip with a 3-1 win over GlenOak (1-1) to start the Federal League campaign. The home side used some strong defense to keep the Bears off the board for most of the first half. Evan McCreary scored a pair of goals on either side of halftime to seal the game for Jackson. Overall, a lackluster performance from the Bears as the wet, slick turf  took its toll on the Bears' touch and slowed them down. According to Biros, "We just didn't have an explosive attack this night, as we did on Tuesday night against Hudson. With that said, the Eagles defended well and we were fortunate that our lack of a mental preparation for a league match didn't come back to cost us this match. The boys will be happy to be back in the friendly confines of the Jackson Soccer Stadium on Saturday (night)." Jackson plays their home opener this Saturday evening (7pm) against Green. It will be the second game of a varsity double header at Jackson. At 5pm, the Jackson Girls (3-0)  will take on Wadsworth. It should be a beautiful night for soccer, so come on out!

2008 Season Underway Mooney Sprints to Victory over Bears in Opener

Jackson opened strong on the road against a strong Cardinal Mooney squad in Youngstown. They controlled the first 20 minutes of the match, however, the early pressure did not pay off as the home squad surprised the Bears with a 3-1 final score. Jackson possessed the ball well, kept Mooney pinned in their end, and created several great chances to score to open the game. However, they would not capitalize on those chances and Mooney's increasing pressure paid off on an unlikely goal midway through the first half. The speedy Mooney attack would pounce on a misjudged ball behind the defense and sped to goal for the first marker. "We were a out of position and they capitalized on it." Said Jackson coach Michael Biros. "It kind of deflated us, and we lost confidence. They did what good teams do, they capitalized on a mistake and they continued to pressure us into errors we don't normally make." Mooney would add two more second half goals in similar fashion of the first goal in the second half. Jackson Junior Derek Zuniga salvaged a late goal off a wonderful 30-yard free kick strike to round out the scoring.  "Defensively, our pressure was non-existent the last two-thirds of the match." Commented Biros. "Our team knows that to win games against tough opponents, it must come with a defense first mentality. We will refocus and move forward." The Polar Bears have the weekend off before traveling to Hudson on Tuesday night, GlenOak on Thursday night, and their home opener on Saturday night against Green.

8/17/08

2008 Season Underway

The Polar Bears get underway officially on Thursday, and it will be a big test right off the bat. They will travel to Youngstown to play Cardinal Mooney at 7pm. "Mooney is a team with aspirations of a deep run in the playoffs this fall." commented Jackson's coach Michael Biros. "They are a strong team with experience at all positions. We will have to be at our best." Jackson is coming off a strong preseason which they played several teams with state title aspirations. "Hopefully our preseason has prepared us to play at a high level consistently. The boys are eager to get things going." said Biros. "It's a new season. We had a lot of success last season, but that was last season. We are a different team and I'm excited to see who steps up for us. We do know our opponents will be stepping up to play us!" Good luck to the Bears as the '08 season kicks off!