Alex Rosin had to do some improvising.

While trying to play through a Romeo defender on Thursday, the ball was knocked down and it forced the Rochester Adams senior to pick the ball up and trust his instincts.

One shake here, another dribble there and then, the Notre Dame-commit ripped the ball from the left side of the box across and into the net for the Highlanders’ first and only goal to defeat the Bulldogs, 1-0, and clinch their eighth regional championship in 25 years on Oct. 24 at Berkley’s Hurley Field.

“It’s a really nice feeling,” Rosin said. “We expected this. We see what we do day-in, day-out in practice. We feel we should be here, and we know that we can go a lot further than this.”

The Bulldogs and Highlanders met previously in August of this year, playing to a 1-1 draw. But like they did with Romeo’s MAC Red rival, Eisenhower, Adams managed to shake off an early-season tie and show their improvement to advance in the state postseason.

“We really didn’t have our chemistry going yet (in August),” Rosin said. “We didn’t really understand each other as a team yet, and just kind of figuring it out. But I think today, we really brought the intensity. We wanted it more than them, and I think we showed that out there today.”

Rosin’s goal came in the 25th minute. Both teams got legitimate scoring chances after — Adams even had a goal dismissed in the second half — but thanks to a few strong saves from Romeo keeper Ethan Huffman and several snuffed-out set plays by Adams, the scoreboard was never put back in use.

One of the Bulldogs’ strengths this season — and especially in postseason play — has been their ability to score off corners and long throws. In fact, according to Romeo head coach Vinnie Vasilevski, they scored on approximately one out of every eight attempts.

On Thursday, they unofficially had seven.

“Our game plan worked,” Vasilevski said. “We said, ‘Hey, we’re going to keep our shape.’ We didn’t low press, we mid pressed so we want to make sure we can get our offense going.

“I said, ‘Guys, if we can get 10 (corners and throw-ins) — I think we got around that number — we got a shot at it.’ I think it’s just one of those where it didn’t bounce our way. The ball bounced a couple times in the box today, it just didn’t happen and it’s okay.”

Adams head coach Josh Hickey praised the effort of his whole team on those crucial plays.

“For them to step up like that, I think that our defense was superb in those moments,” he said. “And a lot of guys stepped up that possibly, they’ve never been in that moment in the box where they had to make that play. … Chase Blackmore, he got his head on a lot of those and he’s not the tallest guy in the world, but he has a lot of fight in him.”

The defeat caps another strong season for Romeo — something that’s become a trend in recent years after the Bulldogs went 6-12-2 in Vasilevski’s first season eight years ago.

In the last three seasons, they’ve won 13, 15 and 15 games, respectively, while also claiming their first-ever regional title this year.

“I think it was a great season,” Vasilevski said. “I think for the future, you saw a lot of JV kids here on the bench that just rode the bus. We had 12 guys just ride the bus today just to be part of it. And 12 alumni came today just to watch. And it gets people going — it motivates kids to say, hey, I want to be part of this game. When you play games like this, it’s exciting.”

Vasilevski was also complimentary of Hickey and the Highlanders, calling them ‘well-coached’ and praised their talent, even saying that, in his opinion, Adams is the best team in the state.They hope to prove him right — the Highlanders will take on the winner of Monroe vs. Saline (Oct. 25 at Fordson) in the state semifinals on Wednesday, Oct. 30 at Troy Athens.

And though Adams isn’t far removed from winning a state championship — they hoisted the trophy in 2022 — there are only three players left on the roster from that team.

But you wouldn’t know it by watching them.

“They see it in the classroom and around the school — they see banners and everything,” Hickey said. “There is some mystique to it. But they haven’t experienced it, and for them to be handling it like they are, honestly, I’m pretty impressed. There’s a lot of maturity.”

Rosin and the Highlanders will be ready.

“We’re happy to be here, but it’s not over yet,” he said. “We still have two more games to go, and that’s what we’re focused on.

“So it’s a good feeling, but it’s not over.”