Shootout goes in Warhawks’ favor

mbrown@sunmulti.com

Penalty kick goals in a soccer shootout are hardly ever labeled as ‘pretty.’ The four Veterans High’s Warhawks scored to get a 2-1 overtime victory against Richmond Academy Wednesday were no exception.

What was a thing of beauty, however, was the flying header Michael Bailey connected on to tie Musketeers in the second half of the opening round match in the GHSA Class AAAA playoffs.

Veterans High, in its third season of boys soccer under coach Matt Roth, are quickly becoming a fixture in the rounds beyond the openers when it comes to state competition. The Warhawks now have two straight ‘Sweet 16’ appearances after reaching the Elite 8 in the inaugural season. Due to Jonesboro High’s win against Cairo, also on Wednesday, Veterans – the runner-up of Region 2-AAAA – is hosting that second round match on May 8 against the Cardinals, a No. 4 region seed.

Richmond Academy scored the only goal of this past Wednesday’s encounter during first-half play. Bailey supplied the answer with help from Elijah Milteer as the next 40-minute session progressed.

Veterans had more than one close opportunity for a winning point during the two five-minute overtime periods. But it was on to a shootout, something the Warhawks did well in during region play as evident by their home win against rival Perry High.

Goalkeeper Ben Albritton saved Richmond’s first-round effort, but Veterans had a miss in its initial try. Each team scored in both the second and third round, the Warhawk goals going in off the feet of Joesph Faletto and John Pilcher.

Richmond missed wide on the fourth kick, but Mark Yeager didn’t. The Musketeers did all they could do by converting on the fifth try, but all the home crowd needed was a fourth straight make. Luke Boyd proved more than up to the task.

Veterans entered Wednesday’s play ranked in the AAAA top 10 (No. 7) by eurosport.com and had just one defeat throughout the entire regular-season (to region champion Mary Persons). Richmond Academy was 10-7-1 but didn’t play like there was such a disparity in records.

The visitors in fact had the first corner kick at 33:35, and a couple of minutes later Boyd had to defend a ball in Veterans’ penalty box.

Bailey took the first Warhawk shot at 29:37 running down a mid-field lead from Dillon Garrett. He missed the mark. At 26:20 Albritton watched a 3-on-3 play develop in front of him and saved a shot taken from his right side. Garrett later had an outstanding play on defense in his corner.

Albritton, at the 17-minute mark, was on top of a Musketeer charge. Cody Scarborough received a throw-in and rushed to the opposite end, drawing a foul. David Gomez took the free kick from the left of the box, but the ball eluded Garrett’s attempt at a header.

It was at 8:37 when Richmond Academy broke through for the 1-0 lead on a 20-yard shot after rebounding a free kick from the same location.

Veterans had chances for a tying goal in the last six minutes with big plays from Heath Hosch, Gomez and Bailey. Garrett, while providing more corner defense, won numerous 50-50s. Hosch also made an amazing steal with 12 seconds on the clock.

The Warhawks found themselves on the defense for most of the second half, Albritton making two saves with one sliding stop at 32:35. Jordan Zwitch was also there to support his keeper. Against Garrett’s marking at 31:54, Richmond missed a two-goal advantage by mere inches.

The Musketeers set up for a free kick from the corner area at 28:35. Veterans gained possession, and Milteer sprinted with the ball down the bench sideline. His main nemesis was a gusting wind at his face, but he got in the box for a sharp crossing pass.

Bailey flew towards the ball to take the header and level the score.

The senior striker had some obvious spark in him for making that goal, for in the next minute he was part of two serious charges for this team looking to get the lead. Richmond saved an own goal at 23:27 when a throw-in went off one of the visitors’ head towards the keeper.

Action went back and forth, Pilcher making a keen steal and passes from him to Bailey to Scarborough to Milteer resulting in a high shot. Scarborough took a close-range shot at 11:40 slapped away hard by the keeper.

Richmond Academy controlled most of the remaining play, but couldn’t find ways around defense from Gomez, Zwitch, Garrett and David Vassey, a late substitute. It was in the last minute that Bailey got in for a deflected shot and corner for the Warhawks.

Time was running out, but the kick was made. The ensuing action had Roth screaming that the ball cleared the line.

Richmond Academy had to make two saves in the first overtime, one against Faletto and the other versus Milteer. In the second OT, the Musketeers had a corner kick that bounced free, forcing Albritton to make a leaping catch.

LADY WARHAWKS

For the Region 2-AAAA champion Veterans High girls soccer team, Tuesday’s main foe during first round GHSA action was the temperature gauge. Playing in warm weather for the first time all season, the Lady Warhawks were dominant in a 4-0 shutout of South Effingham High at home.

Up next in the ‘Sweet 16,’ also to be played at Veterans High’s field on May 7, is Westover High of Albany. Westover eliminated Spalding High Tuesday.

The Lady Warhawks made the Lady Mustangs take nothing but goal kicks for several minutes, Savannah Smith winning the 50-50s and keeping the pressure on the visitors. Offensively, there were two misses from Khayla Owens in the first seven minutes while Ashley Stepanek pushed the action on the right side.

At 29:45, Jada Foor sent a well-placed free kick towards Mahalia Laguines, who had her shot saved. Stepanek and Sierra Gomez maintained the ball and set up Owens for Veterans’ hardest shot so far, the result being a slap save.

The first goal was recorded by reserve Rebecca Dukes at 22:04. Owens dribbled the ball out of a double team at the left of the goal and sent it in to a charging Dukes.

Owens earned the assist on the second Veterans point. She won a 50-50 ball with her head, and it was a pass to another scoring reserve, Sarah Lucas (20:21).

At 18:27, Lucas had an 18-yard rebound shot saved. Veterans took a corner at 15:32, and the ball went outside to Foor for a 22-yarder that was caught. Senior Aspen Coggins, already with one shot missed, made a pass from the outside in to Shelby King, and the shot taken off the side of her foot was saved (11:45).

Myranda Wyatt, Breanna Gomez and Taylor Craig maintained Lady Warhawk possession, and Craig’s effort was slapped away. King was there for a rebound that went to the top bar at 5:20.

Officials ruled a deflection by South Effingham, so Smith took the corner kick. King headed the ball in for her team’s third goal.

Owens had three chances in the first eight minutes of the second half miss the net, two instead reaching the out-of-bounds bars.

The hosts, however, were awarded a corner kick, and Laguines registered the fourth and final goal.

There were only as many as four touches by the Lady Warhawk goalkeeping tandem of Kaylee McNeal and Erin Harbison.

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