There were a lot of similarities between Chattanooga Christian and its opponent, Briarwood Christian, Saturday in the final of the eighth annual CCS Charger Soccer Tournament.
Jordan Box in the box was what separated the two at the end.
The Lions and Chargers battled to a scoreless tie, but in an altered-format shootout, Box saved four shots and the Class 5A Alabama school won 2-1 in the tiebreaker.
"I really thought the two teams were evenly matched," CCS coach Shawn Brower said. "We gave a good team effort, and to finish with two wins and a tie in this tough of a tournament, we ought to be proud."
Said Briarwood coach Mark Wallace: "We're not quite as aggressive as them, but this match is exactly what we needed because we were so matched."
CCS defeated Cookeville 2-0 and edged Science Hill 2-1 to reach the title game, but the injuries continued to mount for the Chargers. With East Tennessee State signee Rocklin Shumaker and junior Clark Holt already out with injuries and goalkeeper Cameron Anderson nursing an injury of his own, senior Will Taylor went down with an apparent ankle injury against Science Hill.
"We were able to play a lot of players, and this match had a definite playoff feel," Brower said.
Briarwood's Lions (12-3-2) controlled most of the first half and thought they had taken a 1-0 lead, but the goal by William Ball was waved off after the senior was called offside.
CCS's Beau Simmons had a prime opportunity in the second half but nailed a shot right at Box.
In the extra frame, Zack Bekken and David Coggin had goals for the Lions, while Taylor Black scored for CCS.
"I thought the guys showed a lot of heart and that they're starting to find the next gear," Brower said. "This game is going to pay off."