Nov 14, 2025
DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette Lewisburg’s Isaac Ayres goes after a ball during Tuesday’s PIAA Class AA semifinal game against Faith Christian at North Schuykill High School. The Green Dragons won in overtime, 1-0, to secure its first trip to the state final since 2021. Ayres, Viktor Permyashkin and the team’s other seniors are looking to cap their careers with a gold medal today.
When Viktor Permyashkin was in junior high, he was a team manager for the Lewisburg varsity boys soccer team in 2020. It was there on the sidelines he got to watch the Green Dragons go a perfect 22-0 and capture the third state championship in program history, the first since back-to-back titles in 2016-15.
He saw talented players like Ben Liscum, Anthony Bhangdia, Jack Dieffenderfer, his brother Philip Permyashkin and Alfred Romano, among others compete at the highest level.
He saw his brother Philip Permyashkin win state gold alongside talented players like Alfred Romano, Reese Dieffenderfer, Carter Hoover, Tony Burns and others.
As a junior high player, it lit a fire in Permyashkin to strive to get to that level that Class of 2021 did.
And now, him and Lewisburg’s other seniors are a win away from doing just that, and funny enough, are also looking to cap an unbeaten season this year.
Lewisburg’s boys soccer team is competing in today’s PIAA Class AA championship against District 10 champion Fairview at Northeastern High School in Manchester at 4 p.m.
Permyashkin, Grayson Barner, Isaac Ayres, Logan Kitchens, Isaac Scheffler, Ethan Vinolas and Jack Johnson are looking to write that final chapter, which is close to coming full circle.
When they were freshmen, Lewisburg lost in a shootout to Northwestern Lehigh in the state semifinals at North Schuylkill High School. On Tuesday, at that same exact field, the Green Dragons beat Faith Christian 1-0 in overtime on a 48-yard game-winner by Permyashkin to seal a state championship trip.
“It’s a story book ending. We’ve been hoping since I was a manager on the 2020 team and I saw those guys win the state title, just being dominant the whole season,” Permyashkin said. “We’ve been wanting a fifth star on the crest. We got close our freshmen year and fell off our last two, but we’re back there again and I really believe we can go for the fifth star. It’s something we wanted since freshman year.”
And Lewisburg is playing outstanding. The Green Dragons’ defense is one of the best in the state and have allowed just six goals all season. Faith Christian knocked off the defending state champions in Northwestern Lehigh in the state quarterfinals and pressed Lewisburg well in the first half of Tuesday’s semifinal, but never put a goal in as Lewisburg’s defense played well in keeping Faith Christian from getting 1-v-1 looks and Gabe Pawling played outstanding in goal.
In the second half and in overtime, Faith Christian had just one shot from inside the 18, which came in the final seconds of regulation.
“We walked on this field because they were freshmen and we lost in PKs in this exact same game as freshmen, Viktor played in that game. But they were like ‘hey let’s close this chapter on this field and write our own history,’” Lewisburg coach Ben Kettlewell said. “So yeah, these guys have just been a group that has believed in the culture since Day 1 and kind of spreads it out through all the underclassmen. I’m proud of them and getting to see them get that opportunity on Friday.”
Fairview got to the state final with a 3-1 win against District 7 champion Deer Lakes in the PIAA Class AA semifinals on Tuesday. Fairview beat District 7 third-place finisher Quaker Valley, 7-0, in the first round before beating District 7 runner-up Beaver Area, 4-0, in the quarterfinals.
The Tigers are 23-0 entering the state final, pitting two teams who have not yet experienced a loss this season against one another for the state’s ultimate crown.
Much like the Green Dragons, Fairview has a superb defense and has allowed just 12 goals all year while offensively the Tigers have scored 123. Just five opponents through 23 games have managed to hold Fairview to two or fewer goals. The Tigers have scored four or more goals in 16 games and have posted five or more in 11 games this year.
But Lewisburg is a defensive machine this year and isn’t shy about playing talented teams and shutting offenses down. In goal, Pawling has recorded 18 shutouts this year, two in the state playoffs, and is extremely athletic in limiting goals no matter how well-placed a shot may be.
“I mean it’s nothing out of the ordinary, the kid is awesome,” Permyashkin said about Pawling’s effort on Tuesday. “We just believe in him whole heartedly, the kid is special and he showed today why he’s one of the best in the state.”
And Lewisburg will look to show why not only Pauling, but the entire team, is one of the best in the state this afternoon.
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