OGEMAW HEIGHTS - Oct. 13, 2008 - Could it happen again?

The Ogemaw Heights boys soccer team, after never having won a district tournament soccer game in more than a decade as a varsity squad last season not only won one game, but three while upsetting three consecutive opponents in dramatic fashion to win their first district crown.

The 2008 team doesn't have a district title yet, but it got the post-season off to the right kind of start by coming from behind to defeat Mt. Pleasant 3-2 in overtime on Monday.

Ivan Calderone one-touched in a crossing pass from Derek Hughey six minutes into the extra period for the "golden goal" that sent the Falcons to a Wednesday semifinal at home against NEMC foe John Glenn. Ogemaw Heights hosts the game at 4 p.m. on Wednesday.

"Derek's cross was pretty sweet," said Falcon coach Jeff Young. "All Ivan had to do was tap it in.

"We redeemed ourselves for our poor play at the start."

Neither team much resembles the two squads that met in last year's district title contest -- a game the Falcons also won in overtime -- and the Oilers' total of three wins on the season masked the fact that they are a solid squad that played in the ultra-competitive Saginaw Valley League this fall.

The Falcons finally received the message Young had been preaching when the Oilers scored goals three minutes apart midway through the first half to take a 2-0 lead.

"We came out extremely flat," Young said. "I don't know if it was their record or what, but we certainly didn't bring the intensity.

"It wasn't pretty at first."

Rob Kish's direct free kick cut the Mt. Pleasant lead to 2-1 by halftime, but Young still wasn't happy.

"We'd picked it up a bit the last 10 minutes or so of the half," he said. "But it wasn't good that the only way we could score was on a free kick.

"We came out in the second half and started to look the way we should."

Jordan Moore's unassisted goal 12 minutes into the second half tied it up.

The Falcons controlled play for most of the second half, allowing the Oilers just four shots on goal after giving up 11 in the first half.

Sean McClintic made 15 saves for the Falcons (11-9-1).

"I can't say we played well, but it's impressive to win a game like this anyway," Young said. "The most impressive thing about it, though, was that the kids didn't bail out on the game when it looked like we were in trouble. That was what really matters to me."