The Lake Oconee Academy Titans surged past the Armuchee Indians in the first round of the GHSA Class-A soccer playoffs last Wednesday.
Titans senior Kyle Beasley scored the lone goal of the game, coming in the midway point of the second half.
Head coach Conner Domaleski acknowledged Beasley’s dominance on the pitch after the game.
“That goal was one of the best goals I’ve seen from [Beasley] this year,” Domaleski said. “We had a lot of half-chances most of the game, so I was glad we were finally able to convert one.”
The first half was a back-and-forth matchup with Lake Oconee Academy possessing the ball more than Armuchee.
The Indians weren’t able to find many opportunities in the first 40 minutes. Left back Gavin Minster and captain Jarod Batson led the back line in stopping most of the opponent’s runs.
The second half started similarly to the first, but as the period progressed, the Titans started making more successful runs down the field. They also found a couple opportunities on counterattacks.
The most important opportunity came with 20 minutes left in the game.
An Armuchee shot on goal deflected off the crossbar, and Beasley was able to dribble coast-to-coast on the Indians to find an open shot. After a move to his right foot, Beasley ripped his shot top left, finding the back of the net.
The goal brought Titans fans to life, and the support carried Lake Oconee Academy to their third consecutive first round playoff victory.
Domaleski was proud of his team for not playing into the Indians’ on-field antics and keeping their composure.
“If you’re a great athlete, then the best always comes out of you when you’re under pressure,” Domaleski said. “That’s why I always tell them ‘don’t get the last word because the final score speaks for itself more.”
However, the Titans will be under a lot more pressure heading into next week’s contest against the Atkinson Rebels.
The Rebels are ranked 18th in Class-A which is three spots higher than the Titans who are currently ranked 21st. Atkinson is also 10-5-1 on the season and went a perfect 8-0 in region play.
Domaleski admits Atkinson will be a tough team to beat, but he feels like his team is equipped to pull it off.
“They’re a brand new team to us who’s beat up on all their region opponents,” Domaleski said. “But we’ll have Mitch [Wofford], so hopefully we’ll be able to control the midfield and figure out their game plan.”
The second round game will be on Tuesday evening in Atkinson County. With a win, the Titans would be back in the Elite 8 for the second year in a row.