With Boyd-Buchanan soccer standout Ross Wortman forced to watch from the sideline Thursday night, his teammates answered the call.
The host Buccaneers beat Loudon 3-0 to win the Region 3-A/AA championship.
"What we told them after the unfortunate situation with Ross was they'd find out what it meant to be a team," Bucs coach Dustin Walker said. "And here at Boyd, that's family. We talked about how family reacts and family comes around each other, and that's what we wanted to do."
Wortman missed the championship game after being dismissed with a red card in Boyd-Buchanan's 3-1 semifinal win over Hixson on Tuesday. The Bucs responded with a strong all-around performance in support of their senior captain.
John Barber opened the scoring in the first half with what the Bucs believed was a little divine intervention. Barber's free kick from near midfield traveled into the box and landed with some heavy spin. The ball then grabbed hold of the turf, hopping away from the charging keeper before trickling over the goal line.
"We're so happy for them, and we're thankful for this win," Walker said. "We just praise God for this win. I mean, look at that first goal. That was God's goal."
The 1-0 lead held well into the second half. Although tension was in the air because of the close score, Boyd-Buchanan's defense handled the pressure and thwarted any danger that came its way.
Loudon's best chance was a long shot that hit the framework in the first half.
"I don't think they had a shot inside the 18 all night," Boyd-Buchanan assistant coach Jason Owings said. "They executed exactly how we drew it up. We have guys that stick to the game plan and not do what they want to do, because they're a team. They'd just as soon someone else get a goal as much as themselves."
With 8:27 to play, Hayes Wood lined up a free kick and drilled it past the wall to extend the Bucs' advantage and send his team into a frenzy, with players on the field and on the bench racing to celebrate in the corner.
The 2-0 lead helped relieve some pressure, and three minutes later, Will Boyanton poked in a corner kick that bounced around in front of the goal to all but seal Boyd-Buchanan's fourth straight region title.
"I know they're proud of it, but this group isn't satisfied," Walker said. "They yearn for more. It's a lot of fun to see them get this shot."
The Bucs move on to the state sectional round, which will be played this weekend.
Contact Idris Garcia at sports@timesfreepress.com.