Lake Oconee Academy defeated Class 4A’s North Oconee dramatically on Thursday, April 2, in Bogart.
In a clash of the Titans, LOA’s boys triumphed over North Oconee in penalty kicks. Senior goalkeeper Knox Van Mol made an incredible save and then sent the ball into the back of the net for the win in penalty kicks.
The senior’s coaches and teammates joke and call him “Fort Knox” for a reason. Van Mol kept the Titans from Bogart off-balance in the penalty kicks and scored the game’s most important goal when it mattered the most.
“Man, you’ve got to love that for Knox,” LOA coach Tyler Mayer said. “It was a great way to end the night.”
The victory was sweet for the Titans, who, just a few weeks earlier, lost on the road to Class A Division II rival GMC Prep in the same manner they had defeated North Oconee. Thus, last week’s win was worth the drama.
“It was a moment I felt these boys really deserved and needed,” Mayer said. “We took that dagger on the road against GMC in penalty kicks. I’m not going to lie, going up against a much larger school like North Oconee, which is well-coached and has lots of talent, I wasn’t sure what the outcome may look like, but I couldn’t be more proud of the boys. It wasn’t perfect, but it was resiliency that got us to the finish line.”
The low-scoring match was back-and-forth the entire night.
North Oconee’s boys took a 1-0 advantage midway through the first half, although Lake Oconee Academy senior Nick Jaronski responded a few minutes later with a goal. The score was then tied 1-1 heading into the half.
The Titans from Bogart regained a 2-1 lead early in the second half, and the score remained until late in the match.
The Titans from Greensboro were limited in the second half, as North Oconee’s defensive presence was felt. However, sophomore Leo Inostrosa was clutch in the final minute when his team was desperate for a goal.
Senior Palmer Larker attempted a shot but missed, and Inostrosa scored off a rebound with three minutes left.
The game was tied 2-2 at the end of regulation, but because the game was a non-region contest, it went directly to penalty kicks. The teams received five penalty kicks each to determine a winner or whether the game would end in a tie. However, for the Titans from Greensboro, they finally reversed the curse and won a game in penalty kicks.
All five players from Lake Oconee Academy who attempted a penalty kick — Inostrosa, Larkin, Jaronski, junior Julio Arriaza, and Van Mol — successfully scored, giving their team the crucial advantage it needed in the end.
“It was just all around a well-played game, and a well officiated match,” Mayer said. “You know, it was just the way soccer was meant to be played. You hate to lose a game on penalty kicks, so I’m so glad we won.”
Mayer believes the win over North Oconee was a confidence boost for his team moving forward. He told his players before last Thursday’s game that he wanted them to keep playing hard after winning the region title the previous week.
“The toughest thing as a coach is to make sure there’s not a mental lapse, one because we won the region and then two, there’s really no expectation to have to win any of our next three matches,” Mayer said. “So, really, just let the boys know in a completely polite way, let’s ruin their senior night. Let’s allow this victory to propel us into the rest of our season and into the state playoffs.”
Lake Oconee Academy (10-3) is off this week for spring break. The Titans return to action on April 15 at Prince Avenue Christian in Bogart before the regular season finale against Oglethorpe County at home on April 18.