Aberdeen Central had all the momentum before Rapid City Stevens found all the answers Saturday afternoon.

The Golden Eagles scored first, but were unable to find the back of the net again in a 3-1 setback to Stevens in the quarterfinals of the boys’ soccer playoffs at Brownell Activities Complex.

Playing into a strong southern wind, it appeared Central had gained the upper hand with an early Linus Johnson goal. While the Raiders answered later in the half, the score was tied heading into the final 40 minutes with Central about to possess the wind.

“We started the second half really well. We created a couple chances,” said Central coach Lance Mohr. “Couldn’t get that one break we really needed with getting that goal right there. I told them when we started we were going to need two goals, that’s what I said the second half.”

Instead, it was Stevens that scored the pair of goals, finding no issues playing into that wind.

“I think that they possessed really well the second half,” Johnson said, “even with the wind going the opposite direction, which we definitely could have done better with the wind.”

Johnson said he felt like maybe the Golden Eagles relaxed a bit following the opening goal, while Stevens became more engaged.

“I think once we got that goal we kind of settled down, which you shouldn’t have,” Johnson said. “They didn’t settle down though, they got more into it, and so when we were settling down they took control. And since they took control, we couldn’t get right back in.”

Finding the right formula proved to be a bit of an issue late in the season, according to Mohr.

“We started in rhythm, got out of rhythm, and then we couldn’t find our way back into it until we had given up two goals,” Mohr said. “We just struggled with that. We struggled with that here down the stretch getting into rhythm for longer periods of time and ultimately it came back to kick us in the behind.”

The Raiders, who spent a good share of time on the Central half of the field in the final 40 minutes, scored two goals within two minutes of each other to take the lead and gain some seperation.

“The goals that we gave up were fouls, ball footing, wind and then just couldn’t get the ball cleared when we needed to today,” Mohr said. “That’s what the playoffs come down to a lot of times. It’s generally not an open play, it’s something bouncing around and one team takes advantage of it, and that’s what happened.”

Central, which has dealt with its share of injuries this season, began to wear down as the game wore on, according to senior Gus Bjerknes.

“I think the heat was part of it, the wind was part of it, and kind of lack of depth on the bench in subs was a part of it,” Bjerknes said, “so a lot of us starters maybe saw two minutes on the bench the whole game to get a breath of fresh air.”

Bjerknes, who was a part of two Eastern South Dakota Conference championship squads, said there is one thing he will remember most about his days with the Golden Eagles.

“Absolutely my teammates and my coaches. Huge part of me growing as a person,” Bjerknes said. “Becoming a leader for these younger guys and trying to understand what it means to lead when I don’t want to.”

Central capped its season with a 10-4-2 record and earned a fourth seed heading into the playoffs.

“This group lost 12 seniors last year and they came back and won 10 games,” Mohr said, “and had a shot at the ESD, and made it to the quarterfinals and lost in a 4-5 game, which is always a coin flip anyway.”

The setback marked the end of a decorated career for Johnson, who pondered a future without being around the teammates he has spent so much time with.

“I’ve grown up with these guys,” Johnson said. “I just don’t know what it’s going to be like, because very year it’s the same few guys that I hung around with on this team, and now next year and the year after that, I won’t be able to see them as much, obviously, just because I’m done.”

Included in Central’s list of accomplishments this past season was a win over Sioux Falls Lincoln, the top-seeded team in the playoffs.

“I’m proud of them,” Mohr said of his players. “They trained hard, they battled all season, and really, really had some nice moments and fun moments, and that’s what we can hang our hat on.”