Soccer seasons for Panthers, Warhawks end

From Staff Reports

Perry High’s boys soccer team lost at Spalding High Wednesday in a “heartbreaking” 3-2 score which ended in sudden death penalty kicks.

“We were trailing 1-0 at halftime,” said coach Nathan Dooley. “We had some good opportunities in the first half but were not able to capitalize on them. Spalding was out hustling us and beating us to the ball.

“At the half I reminded the boys that there was plenty of soccer left. I told them this game was going to come down to desire. The boys rose up to the challenge in the second half.”

In the first few minutes of the second half, Nick Hall hit a shot from outside the box that deflected of a Spalding defender and went into the goal.

The Panthers, however, had to play with only 10 players due to a red card ejection. Spalding scored a goal midway through the second half to make the score 2-1.

“Despite being down, both a man and in the score, the boys continued to fight hard,” said Dooley. “Eventually our break came with five minutes left when Daniel Ward scored the equalizer.”

In the shootout, Ward, Hall and Micah Lehenbauer made Perry’s first three tries. Keeper Sean Swan blocked one of Spalding’s kicks. The Panthers missed the next two and Spalding came to their last try for the win.

“Swan made a great diving save to send the game into sudden death,” said Doley. Thomas Griger made the first and Spalding did the same. We then missed our next PK and Spalding made theirs to end the game at 3-2.

In the face of adversity all night, they gave it everything that they had. We left it all on the field and are walking off with our heads held high. I felt like we really came together as a team and I am looking forward to where this will take us going into next season.”

• Veterans High’s boys soccer team losts its ‘Sweet 16’ GHSA match-up at home to Jonesboro High 2-0 Wednesday. All goals were scored in the second half.

“We came out with some great intensity and put pressure on them from the start,” said coach Matt Roth. “That’s something we haven’t been doing in our last few matches, so I was hoping we could capitalize early, but it turned into a battle of the defenses.”

“We came out in the second half with that same intensity, but they did too and I knew it was going to be a mistake either way that would make the difference. Our goalkeeper had to make a tough play in the box and they took the lead with the penalty kick. We kept fighting but couldn’t find the net even though we had some terrific chances. Their second goal came late when a free kick got deflected over the keeper’s head.”

HHJ News