Starting in goal for the first since suffering a concussion five weeks ago, East Hamilton senior keeper Zac Thomas used laser-focused concentration and the spider-like reflexes of a man walking a high wire 100 stories up as the Hurricanes hosted Cookeville in the Region 3-AAA soccer championship match Thursday.
After surrendering a goal on an impossible chance one minute into the contest, Thomas became a dominant force, turning away repeated shots and leaving the door open for his teammates to generate a response.
In a three-minute span during the first half, the Hurricanes knocked the Cavaliers on their heels and provided the offensive firepower that Thomas and the backfield made stand up in 2-1 victory.
"This is a huge win for the guys," said East Hamilton coach Patrick Daverson. "They lost to Cookeville in the region finals up there last year. And to come back against them the way they did and to get a leg up in the sections is kind of nice. We got the goals when we needed them and we made it stand up."
In the first 24 minutes of the first half, East Hamilton (9-5-1) had just one shot on goal before Cooper Loftin launched a direct-kick missile from midfield and on net. Teammate Caleb Takrouri found the loose ball on the doorstep and equalized the match.
Loftin, a 6-foot-4 midfielder who also played strong defense, set up the Hurricanes' second goal by finding Jose Orellana, who blazed past the Cookeville defense.
From there, the focus of the game turned to Thomas, who made 10 saves on 12 shots in the second half. The Cavaliers (16-4-1) continually created dangerous scoring chances that Thomas repeatedly turned away with the assistance of a defense led by Loftin, Sam Norman and Kian Sandova.
"It was kind of a roll of the dice starting him in goal first time since his injury in the regional final, but Zac responded and he had a huge game for us," Daverson said. "He's a senior who played soccer for the first time this year since youth league. He kept coming up big for us.
"I just tried to keep my focus on what I needed to do, and I have to give credit to my defensive backs. They were great," Thomas said. "Our goal from the beginning of the season was to get back to the region and win it. We want to keep this going and head to the state tournament."
Orellana and Takarouri also played key roles in easing the continual pressure by Cookeville. Orellana's strong ball skills allowed East Hamilton to mount some pressure in the second half with four shots on goal. But it was his breakout in the second half that proved to be the backbreaker for the Cavaliers.
"We knew coming into the game that we couldn't let Jose beat us, and he did," said Cookeville coach Sam Matson. "He beat us on that goal and their keeper played a good game."
Both teams advance to Saturday's sectional round. East Hamilton will host the Region 4 runner-up, while Cookeville will travel to face the Region 4 champion.
Contact Greg Thompson at gthompson@timesfreepress.com.