It was a rare battle of Bulloch County between GIAA Bulloch Academy and Southeast Bulloch on the pitch at Fred Shaver Field. The Southeast Bulloch girls won a 1-0 defensive battle while the Jacket boys came back to score a goal with less than 30 seconds remaining in the game to earn a 3-3 tie with the Gators.
Bulloch Academy took the lead with 24:09 left in the game on a goal by Hunter Davis Pressley as they went up 3-2. They’d hold that score until with just under 30 seconds to play in the game Adam Arseneault blasted a shot past the Gators keeper to help end the game in a tie.
“I was proud of the way we didn’t give up and fought till the end,” said SEB coach Antonio Mireles. “I feel like our team is constantly improving and we still haven’t played like I feel we are capable of. We have a young squad and are trying to just show improvement week to week.”
Bulloch Academy started the scoring quickly as Kellen Daly made a nice cross to a wide-open Ben Becker who scored easily for a 1-0 Bulloch Academy lead.
The Jackets answered midway through the first half on a corner kick from Eamon Murphy as Robert Warnock leapt into the air and played a header past the keeper to tie the game at 1-1.
The Jackets added another goal as Paeton Puzder stole the ball and quickly fired a shot past the Gator keeper for a 2-1 lead. Later with just under two minutes to play in the half Becker took aim and shot from the right side, the Jacket keeper Carson Cobb made a save, but Ashton Howard came flying through the traffic in front of the goal to head the ball through for a 2-2 halftime score.
“I am excited because I think we came into this game as the underdogs ,” sad Gator coach Leslie Golden-Peeples. “I don’t think anyone thought we could play with them. Not only did we play with them, we scored the first goal of the night and we had them all the way up until they scored just before the end of the game. I think we are improving and I saw heart and tenacity here tonight.”
The girls game was a more defensive effort as a goal by the Jackets Korine Talkington proved to be the only goal of the game as Southeast Bulloch won 1-0.
The Jackets possessed the ball for the majority of the game, but had trouble getting it past Gator keeper Mia Harris who ended with over a dozen saves in the game.
“Mia is outstanding and did a great job keeping the ball in front of her and stepping up when we needed her to step up,” said BA coach Caitlyn Cofer. “We had no substitutes and I felt like everyone played hard. We have had so many injuries and girls are playing hurt, I was really proud of the effort today.”
SEB head coach Aimee Civalier was frustrated with the Jackets shot selection and lack of follow ups on their shots on goal.
“We have had a lot of games like this already this year,” said SEB coach Aimee Civalier. “We gets lots of good looks at shots, but we are just not making the most of our opportunities. I like how hard we are playing but we need to be a little smarter out there.”
