KILL DEVIL HILLS- East Bladen’s Eagles battled perennial state power First Flight on even terms for 106:34 minutes Saturday night before losing on a ‘golden goal’ in the 4th overtime period of their second round state playoff game.
“It was the first time we had been to First Flight and proven to them and others in the state that we deserved to be there,” stated Eagle Coach Jay Raynor. “We gave them all they wanted and some. Past trips have never been that close. I believe the last trip was in 2016 (a 7-1 loss to a team that won the 2A title that year). Tonight we took a program that has several state championships to their name to 4 overtimes. We went toe to toe with them. We proved that we belong and didn’t back down.”
The first half was played to a scoreless tie. The Nighthawks capitalized on a penalty kick in the 56th minute. Tanner Bouker went down in the box then scored on the penalty kick.
“I thought it was a pretty soft call and sold well by their player,” said Raynor. “There wasn’t much there at all. The referee explained himself during the mask break and I let it be known that I didn’t think there was much there and we were getting the same type of play in their box as well.”
In the 68th minute Eagle sophomore Malcolm Bolden got in behind their backline and was clipped as he was going one on one with their keeper. That earned the Eagles a penalty kick. “Garrett (Melvin) stepped up and put the PK in the lower right corner. Perfectly placed,” noted Raynor. “That was big. The play of Malcolm and the finish by Garrett were huge.”
“Malcolm had a heck of night and they couldn’t stop him,” stated Raynor. “His speed gave them trouble all night. Garrett did all he could and they couldn’t stop him either. He had to drop deep into the midfield to help at times but that helped free Malcolm up for some runs in behind their backline.”
First Flight outshot the Eagles 14-10 (5-3 in the 1st half). “It was an unbelievable game, a physical game and I felt was controlled fairly, well” said Raynor. “We would remain tied through the remainder of the 2nd half and all the way until the last 3:26 of the 4th overtime, 2nd Golden Goal period.
Raynor continued, “The game was back and forth all night. Our guys did all they could. They left everything they had on the field. They played through 106:34 minutes of soccer. It was intense and in my opinion one of the greatest games I have been a part of. My guys didn’t quit. They didn’t stop. Even when their bodies were braking down they didn’t stop. From broken noses, broken toes, cramps, dead legs…. they all had something that could’ve made them stop or give in. They didn’t. They played hard and left everything they had on the field.
“The love and care they have for each other as well as the program is what makes them special,” declared Raynor. “That was their drive. They wanted it for each other.
“Every one of my guys had the game of their careers. The backline and Jacob (Priest) did a phenomenal job. Jacob kept us in the game by making some unbelievable saves in crucial moments. Drew (Sholar), Will (Hester), Jackson (Bostic) in midfield broke up passes and had their physical presence known.”
Raynor added, “Blaine Pope and Lafon Monroe played some big minutes for us tonight. We were able to use them to help us rest some starters here and there. It was a big stage to play on and they handled it very well. It always stinks to lose and play your last game. However, these guys can hold their heads up. They did a lot this year that many thought they couldn’t do. They didn’t do these things for anyone but themselves. They knew what they were capable of and they showed it.
“They will leave as the most successful class to come through our program,” continued Raynor. “They established dominance and proved that East Bladen has a soccer program and not just a soccer team. They set records that might not ever be touched, especially the shutouts and goals against average. They set the bar high for the groups coming behind them.”
Raynor concluded, “Proud of these young men and they should hold their heads high. We have 12 returners and will be looking to use this as a springboard to take our program to another level.”
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