When the soccer season began, Boyd-Buchanan’s Alex Kuhne never imagined he’d have the opportunity to score a goal that would give his team a Region 3-A/AA title.

On the Buccaneers’ home field Thursday night, the senior not only got that chance but capitalized on it. His goal with under a minute remaining in the first overtime period was the difference in a 2-1 win over Arts & Sciences in the championship match.

“At the beginning of the year, I never saw us coming this far,” Kuhne said. “It’s been amazing. I know our sophomores have been telling us every game that they’ve been doing this for us four seniors. They want to keep us going as long as we can, and it’s been great playing with them.”

Boyd-Buchanan’s win over CSAS in last Thursday’s District 5 final was the first of three overtime games for the Bucs. They earned their spot in the region final with an upset Tuesday against Notre Dame, while the Patriots also advanced with an overtime upset at Chattanooga Christian.

In the first half of the rematch with CSAS, the Bucs had several scoring chances but couldn’t get a ball past Patriots keeper Brandon Challener. The junior’s kick save in the 19th minute kept the match scoreless, and with 10:35 to play, he made another save on a hard shot from Taylor Shull.

But this time, Boyd-Buchanan’s Blake Griffith was there to follow, and the shot gave his team a 1-0 lead.

“We came out flat, and that’s what killed us,” CSAS coach Ron Nance said. “It’s hard to come back after a really emotional game like the one we had at CCS. I think the team peaked right when I wanted them to, and it’s hard to follow that with an inspired performance.”

In first-half stoppage time, Bucs keeper Jake Lockert grabbed a high bounce following a Patriots corner kick just before it could get over his head, and CSAS challenged him more often in the second period. In the 52nd minute, Lockert got his hands out just in time to deflect a direct kick from Duncan Keegan, but there was nothing the keeper could do on Keegan’s shot with 14:51 left in regulation.

The Patriots sent a free kick into the box, where Steve Harris headed it off the post, and Keegan sent in the rebound for the equalizer.

“We kind of came out flat for the second half, and CSAS took it to us,” Bucs coach Jason Owens said. “You can’t take anything away from them. We couldn’t do anything for 10 or 15 minutes. When they got the goal, my guys woke up and realized they were going to lose this thing if we didn’t start playing the way we play. Once they got past that, things turned around and we felt pretty comfortable even going into overtime that we were going to come out with it.”

Another shot from Keegan went off the post about four minutes after his goal, but the Bucs had most of the attack in the first 10-minute overtime. The Patriots’ defenders had cleared away several dangerous balls but couldn’t get rid of a corner kick with time winding down.

Kuhne called for the ball, and his shot bounced off the far post and inside the net.

“Every day we practice our corner kicks for 30 minutes, and we have a little system where our guys know where to go,” he said. “I just saw that their defensive player wasn’t playing it tight, and I called it out. He hit it right back to me, and I hooked it.”

CSAS had its opportunities in the second overtime, the most dangerous being Keegan’s bicycle kick that sailed just outside the goal midway through the period, but couldn’t find a way to finish one. The Patriots still play for a state-tournament berth this weekend when they visit Region 4-A/AA champion Station Camp for a sectional match.

Boyd-Buchanan will host Region 4 runner-up Merrol Hyde on Sunday at 2:30 p.m.

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