It was the best 18th birthday present Austin Bush had.
A boys 10th Region soccer championship trophy.
Bush – and the rest of the Campbell County Camels – celebrated Saturday with a 2-1 win over defending champion Bishop Brossart at Mason County High School.
“It’s amazing,” Bush said. “It’s the one I was wishing for.”
Bush had a hand and a foot in both goals Saturday. His throw-in to Joey Enzweiler became a goal in the 58th minute, and he scored himself less than a minute later.
Saturday was Campbell County’s first regional title since 2017 – coach Kyle Newman’s first season on the sideline after three years at Bourbon County.
“I don’t want to compare the two, but this is pretty special,” Newman said.
Saturday’s win was memorable for a sadder reason – it was the first since Brady Delaney, 19, a 2022 Campbell County graduate, died April 2 in a car accident on the AA Highway just east of the Alexandria Pike exit.
“That’s obviously been heavy on our hearts all season,” Newman said. “Brady was part of the region championship in ‘17.”
Enzweiler’s red captain’s armband paid homage to Delaney’s love of anything Spiderman.
“I’m really close with Brady’s brother Nate,” Enzweiler said. “We do a lot of stuff at school to keep close with Nate.”
Newman called Enzweiler “the little spark.”
“He’s scored in each game in the tournament,” Newman said. “Austin assisted every game, sometimes multiple, through the tournament.”
Campbell County goalkeeper Alexander Jenkins was busy in the first half. In the 23rd minute, Brossart’s Alex Runge eluded the defense but didn’t beat Jenkins, who made the save.
About 11 minutes later, the Mustangs’ Max Runge opened the scoring – his goal made up for his header that clanked off the left post seconds earlier.
“I should’ve made it,” Max Runge said of the first shot. “I had to get one back.”
Folks have learned to expect lots of hard, spirited tackles from Brossart and Campbell County, and not just because it’s about a 3.2-mile drive on U.S. 27 between the campuses. The Camels shut out the Mustangs, 2-0, Sept. 28, and the Mustangs won the 37th District title, 1-0, Oct. 10.
Saturday was the latest example. Campbell County’s Zach Franzen received a yellow card in the 50th minute for crashing into Brossart keeper Ryan Eldridge.
Enzweiler scored between a trio of Brossart defenders.
“To be honest, three of our guys all went for the same ball instead of talking,” Brossart coach Ron Dunlevy said. “(Enzweiler) pounced on the scraps.”
Bush beat his defender to the corner right of Eldridge. He saw Franzen on the other side.
“I just took it,” Bush said. “I wanted it, I wanted to win the game, I wanted to finish it out, I wanted this trophy.”
Dunlevy said his defense again did not communicate.
“Our center back needed to be a little tighter … he was a little too far off, and Austin is a very fast player,” Dunlevy said. “He can close down space quick, and he did, even with the ball kind of away from his feet.”
Campbell County (14-8-1) will thus host Somerset at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the opening round of the state tournament. The girls’ region champion Camels will stay home, too — they meet 12th Region winner Boyle County at 7 p.m. Monday.
“We’ve got 12 seniors,” Newman said. “I love this group … a lot of these kids started as seventh-graders.
“Finally, some vindication.”
