By Erik Harris
GARDENDALE – The Pinson Valley boys soccer team came up just short in the opening round of the Class 6A state playoffs.
On a soggy field, the match went through regulation and two five minute halves of extra time knotted at 2-2. Gardendale eventually got through to the next round at the tail end of a shootout.
Pinson Valley goalkeeper Ryne Mills watches on in Gardendale
Photo by Erik Harris
“It’s tough losing that way, but it has to end some way,” said Pinson Valley coach Jeff Mills. “It’s not like NHL hockey wherfe they just keep playing period after period until someone just falls out and dies.”
Rockets’ goalkeeper Stephen Peacock denied Hector Lucatero not once, but twice on the Indians’ fifth of five spot kicks. After the save, Sam Peacock found the back of the net for a 5-4 shootout win.
On Lucatero’s first spot kick, Stephen was called for coming off the goal line, which gave Lucatero another shot, which was also saved by Stephen.
Jordan Walton, Dorian Del Toro, Bryan Quinonez and Adan Martinez each eluded Stephen on their spot kicks.
“I like having a winning season every year, but we made the playoffs, we got somewhere that a lot of teams can’t say they did and that’s always the best thing,” Mills said.
Walton got the match into extra time by sneaking in a goal in the 75th minute to pull the Indians even at 2-2. He snuck the ball through traffic off a corner kick for the final goal of regulation.
That goal came off what was far from Walton’s best opportunity of the evening. The Meridian (Miss.) Community College signee worked his way to 11 shots on goal. Four of those attempts were saved and the other seven went high or wide.
A pair of goals in the first half gave the home team a lead that they enjoyed for much of the match. Nick Bagwell gave Gardendale an early 1-0 lead when he beat Saul Rios at midfield to get out in the open and finish at the net.
Again, Rios paid for an error when Roman Hyke went down the right side, deked goalkeeper Ryne Mills and laid the ball into an open net for a 2-1 advantage just two minutes before the break.
The Rockets’ two first half goals sandwiched a goal by Quinonez, which came midway through the opening half and evened the score at 1-1.
Lucatero set Quinonez up with a nice pass down the right side.
Pinson Valley ended the season 8-9-2 overall.
“We moved up to 6A this year so we’ve struggled with some of the bigger schools,” said Mills. “We’re at a little big of a disadvantage from some of the bigger 6A schools. They’ve got more people to choose from.”
