Morgan County soccer coach Aaron Paul thought about last season’s loss to Peach County in the second round of the playoffs for nearly a year.
However, after last Wednesday’s 4-2 victory over the Trojans in this year’s second-round rematch, Paul felt a sense of happiness and relief.
“I’ve been thinking about it for a calendar year. It’s sweet to get this one,” Paul said. “Last year, we lost 2-1. It was close. And we had a hard time scoring against them last year. We had chance after chance after chance to score, but couldn’t finish. Well, tonight we flipped the script, so this a really, really good feeling.”
In last week’s playoff tilt, Morgan County struck back every time Peach County threw a punch.
The Trojans scored in the 32nd minute to take a 1-0 lead, but the Dogs tied the game in the 34th minute.
Morgan County sophomore Brandon Lopez broke free with the ball, dribbled past defenders, and scored on a shot from outside the box. Less than a minute later, Peach County retook the lead on a quick scoring opportunity.
Lopez scored his second goal 16 seconds later, tying the game heading into the break. His effort gave Morgan County momentum in the second half. The Dogs got two more goals from Korbin Hegwood and Kentucky Outlaw, and their defense shut out the Trojans.
Paul said Lopez’s aggressiveness toward the end of the first half gave his team the spark it needed.
“He’s a young guy for us who comes off the bench and plays well for us,” Paul said. "He does well when he sits and watches for a minute of what’s going on, and his effort is just relentless when he gets out there. For Brandon to get out there and score those goals, that’s just what he does. It's a phenomenal effort from him.”
Despite giving up two goals, Morgan County keeper Blake Downs had nine saves. Midfielder Rocco Biscoglia also had two assists against Peach County.
With the victory, Morgan County secured a spot in the Elite Eight for the first time in three years. The Dogs hosted Oconee County in Tuesday’s Elite Eight matchup.
Unfortunately, the Warriors defeated the Dogs 2-0, ending their season. Morgan finished the year with a 10-7-1 record, but there is much to show for this year.
“This group doesn’t quit. We got down 3-1 against Harlem and returned to win 5-3,” Paul said. “So this group just fights and fights. I couldn’t be more proud of them. This has been a fun group to coach this year.”