CARY – Junior Malcolm Bolden scored all 4 East Bladen goals – a ‘Hat Trick’ plus one – and led the Eagles to a 4-1 victory over Research Triangle High Monday night in the opening round of the NCHSAA Class 2A Boys’ Soccer playoffs.
Bolden sparked the Eagles to a 2-0 halftime lead with 2 goals then knocked in 2 more goals in the 2nd half. It was the 6th ‘Hat Trick’ of the season for Bolden, who has scored 27 goals in 17 games. Sophomore Lee Barnes recorded 7 saves in goal for the Eagles.
East Bladen, the No. 20 seed, improved to 10-8 with the victory and will travel to Siler City Thursday night to play the 6th seeded Jordan-Matthews Jets, champions of the Mid-Carolina 1A/2A Conference, who boast an 18-0-1 record. Tickets will be available at the gate or in advance at https://gofan.co/app/school/NC646. The Jets defeated Southwest Onslow 3-1 in their opening round game.
The Eagles notched their initial goal in the 12th minute when Bolden scored off a pass from Jacob Nixon. “Their keeper was aggressive,” said East Bladen Coach Jay Raynor. “Jacob’s pass was past their back line but far enough out for the keeper to come out of the box to try and make a play. Malcolm took a touch, dribbled around him and fired it in.”
The lead grew to 2-0 in the 26th minute. “Blaine Pope made a steal and slotted a pass to Malcolm who got behind their backline. It was a nice pass and a great finish,” said Raynor.
“They had some looks on goal that Lee and the backline turned away. I thought our backs did a great job of contesting and blocking their shots or closing and forcing them to take shots from distance. Lee was great for us in goal. He gets better every time out. He commanded his box and communicated well with the backline.”
Raynor praised the play of Chase Starkloff, Tyreon Graham, Sammy Valerio, Nathan Howell and Zac Metz “Their communication was the best it has been all season. They were confident and locked in. Tyreon and Zac limited the looks of their 2 forwards and forced them to take shots as well as give the ball up.”
In the 54th minute, Valerio blasted a 50-yard ball after a Research Triangle offsides. “It was a well hit ball that fell to Malcolm who was making a diagonal run behind their backline,”noted Raynor. “Malcolm took a touch and slotted it past their goal keeper. It was a heads up play from Sammy. Sammy has been huge for us lately. He is able to flip the field and that has changed things for us.”
Sixteen seconds later an Eagle mistake on the kickoff led to the Raptor goal. “How that goal happened was the low spot of the game for us,” stated Raynor. “We need to be focused and disciplined. That could have give them some hope and fired them up.”
However 2 minutes later Bolden picked up a loose ball in midfield and answered the Raptor goal. “He turned and ran out their backs, put a move on their center back, and blew past him,” said Raynor. “It was another 1-on-1 with the keeper that Malcolm was able to put away.”
Bolden’s performance tied him with Garrett Melvin for most goals in a boys’ soccer playoff game by an Eagle. Melvin had 4 last year against Roanoke Rapids. “Malcolm has carried us in the attack all year,” said Raynor. “I knew from the time he got on the bus that he was going to have a good night, but I didn’t think he would put four away on a team of that caliber. What I think is wild, he’s a touch or two away from putting 6 goals in the back of the net.”
“Jacob Nixon and Sam Inscoe in the midfield allow Malcolm to get forward and make runs without having to check back into the field,” added Raynor. “Those three guys have great chemistry and most importantly, they trust each other. Adding Sam back into the mix has changed our team. They are trusting each other and believing in each other. Chase Butler complements Malcolm well. Their wingers and backs were not ready for his speed. He compliments Malcolm well. Those two work great together and are gelling very well.”
Raynor continued, “All around was a great performance from our entire team. We were able to keep fresh legs on the field and sub without the game falling off. Blaine, Joel Johnson, and Omarion Atkinson rotating up top kept the pressure on their midfield and backs. Those guys are fast and physical. Being able to have those three able pressure the ball and rotate them every 5-10 minutes frustrates a team. That allows us to keep going at them and that’s hard to withstand.”
“Tonight was a huge win for the program,” said Raynor. “First Round playoff win with this group is special. They have worked hard from day one and have continued to evolve. Their work ethic is unmatched. We completely out worked RT tonight. They were gassed and we weren’t.”
The Southeastern Athletic Conference posted a 4-1 record in the first round playoff games. St. Pauls claimed a big win at Wallace-Rose Hill and Clinton and Red Springs both won.
“I think we have been overlooked this year because of our record,” concluded Raynor. “We played in a league where teams could score a lot of goals. We were second behind Clinton in goals allowed in league play. We held Research Triangle to only 1 goal and they averaged close to 5 goals a game. They had the 5th best RPI in the 2A East. Anytime we play I love our chances. My guys are tested and are going to fight to the very end.”
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