CALHOUN, Ga. – For 38 minutes, Friday’s GHSA Class AAA soccer quarterfinal matchup between Calhoun and Savannah Arts Academy was as even as it could get. It was the other two minutes that did the Yellow Jackets in.
The visitors scored three goals in a two-minute period halfway through the second half and won 4-1. The Knights (18-3) advance to the semifinal round, where they will play the winner of the Blessed Trinity/East Hall game. Calhoun’s season ends at 12-6-2.
“They are a fine team and we knew we would have our hands full today, but I’m proud of the effort and we put ourselves in a position to win,” Calhoun coach Matt Rice said. “It was close, but a couple of bounces and deflections went their way. That’s the way soccer is sometimes. The kids never quit, and that shows what kind of guys we have.”
The teams traded goals in the first half, including Gabriel Garcia’s score for the Jackets on a free kick in front of the Knights’ goal late in the half. Countering elite speed with elite speed, the teams matched possession in the first 20 minutes of the second half before the visitors took sudden control.
A long pass from Benjamin Jones skipped past a Calhoun defender at midfield and right to speedy Noah Prince. The senior gained possession, turned the last remaining defender around and beat Calhoun keeper Carlos Brito into the left corner.
“The game was up in the air,” Prince recalled of the moment. “Somebody sent me a ball and I just beat the defender and scored. It seemed to really spark the guys, and that was a very crucial two minutes for us.”
The celebrating had hardly died down when a penalty on Calhoun set SAA up for a free kick just inside midfield. Chandler New hit a hooking laser that seemed to surprise Brito, the ball slamming into the left corner of the goal for a killing 3-1 lead.
Seconds later a shot by Jones was redirected into the Calhoun goal by Benjamin Rahimitabar, and the game suddenly was out of hand.
“We were even with them until that stretch, but they made the plays,” Rice said. “They’ve got the full package – the skill, speed and experience – and I believe that team can go all the way.”
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6296; follow on Twitter @youngsports22