Photo by Michael K. Dakota
Cory Obermeyer has moved from Goalie to Forward as Emporia High School enters the tournaments tonight. The team says they are motivated for a win tonight.
It had been probably five years since Cory Obermeyer felt the rush you get from scoring a goal — he can’t even remember for sure.
Preventing goals has been Obermeyer’s business in recent years, and he’s become awfully good at it. But earlier this month, before Emporia High traveled to Bishop Carroll, Spartans coach Angel Cornejo decided to see what EHS would look like with his senior goalkeeper up front at forward.
Coming out of goal and moving to forward about halfway through the second half against Carroll on Oct. 13, Obermeyer immediately made the move look like pure genius, netting the only goal in Emporia’s 1-0 win.
“It got my heart, adrenaline going,” Obermeyer said. “Just so much excitement when I scored.”
Since then, he’s been hitting the adrenaline well some more. In five total matches and three starts at forward, Obermeyer has five goals, and the Spartans are 4-1 in that span. His presence up front has been a huge asset thus far, and his offensive skills will be a big factor in how far the Spartans can advance in the postseason — which they begin with tonight’s Regional match against Highland Park at TRYSA.
Cornejo’s thinking in moving Obermeyer — an honorable mention All-Region selection last year at goalie — didn’t just have to do with Obermeyer’s skill set. Cornejo also knew he had a talented freshman goalie in Elvis Delacruz. Delacruz was previously the C-team goalie, but when Cornejo needed an extra keeper at one practice before the Carroll game, he let Delacruz stay at the net and let Obermeyer stay at forward. He liked what he saw out of both; in Obermeyer’s case, he saw a fast, aggressive forward whose teammates were impressed with the strength of his shot.
“Then we had a short scrimmage, and he was playing like a monster,” Cornejo said. “And I’m like, ‘You know Cory, since Elvis is really good at goalie, I might give you a chance ... maybe. It depends how the game goes at Carroll.’”
In light of Obermeyer’s physical tools and natural skills, the move looked like one that could work. But keep in mind that Obermeyer hadn’t played forward regularly since he was 12 or 13.
“I was pretty shocked when he asked me at practice if I wanted to play (forward),” Obermeyer said. “I was also happy about it, too, because I love playing forward. Getting out of the goal sometimes, playing it for about eight years straight, sometimes it’s just nice to get out of the goal.”
Obermeyer’s first dose of that adrenaline came with his goal against Carroll, a chip shot off an assist from Agustin Armenta with about four minutes remaining. Four days later, it was time for a triple dose — making his first start at forward, Obermeyer scored three goals in a 4-1 win over Seaman at TRYSA. He added another one last Thursday in the regular season finale, a beautifully angled side-to-side shot to the far corner that veered perfectly over the Garden City goalkeeper. That was the first goal in a 2-1 overtime win that clinched home-field advantage for EHS throughout Regionals.
Jesus Saldana, one of EHS’ key attackers at forward all season long, can see Obermeyer’s previous experience at the position manifesting itself in his teammate’s return to the front.
“He helps us a lot, because he’s really fast,” said Saldana, a pretty fast guy himself. “And all we have to do is just send a ball, and he’ll go get it. He’ll beat the defense to the ball.”
Although Obermeyer is headed to McPherson College next year to play goalkeeper, he wouldn’t mind if he ended up seeing some action on offense.
“I know I’m going to college for goalie, but yet, in other terms, I’d like to play forward in college, too,” he said. “So either one I can get, pretty much whatever (gets) a scholarship to a better college, works.”
Have Spartan fans seen the last of Obermeyer as a high school goalie? Cornejo says yes — except if one particular situation comes up in the postseason.
“If there’s a PK, Cory will be my goalie,” Cornejo said. “He’s probably the best I have ever seen on PKs. So he’ll be my goalie if there is a PK. But he is not (starting there) — I need him up front.”
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