TIFTON — Bobby Earls’ biggest win of the season might also be his biggest relief. His Tift County Blue Devils soccer team scored a late goal to top Houston County Monday, 1-0.
The win was Tift’s first in Region 1-6A action this year and their first victory over anyone in nearly two months. Unfortunately, Tift couldn’t make it a sweep. The Lady Devils are likely out of state tournament contention after falling 2-0 to Houston.
“The boys played hard tonight,” Earls said. “I’m super proud of them.”
This has been a tough year for the Blue Devils. Already young, some roster shifts have seen them get even younger. At one point, Earls realized he had seven sophomores and a freshman on the pitch at once.
If this group holds together, Tift fans will be seeing something special.
“I’ve got great kids,” Earls said. He said he advised them that good things happen when they give 110%. They did.
The Blue Devils held their ground all night. While they had difficulties getting clean looks at goal, they played an outstanding defensive game, making very few mistakes.
Their strength kept the pressure off keeper Braylon Samuel. When Samuel was challenged, he came through every time.
“Icing on the cake,” is how Earls described of not just winning, but holding the opponent to a zero.
The first 40 minutes of action went quietly. Cristian Salazar had a free kick saved five minutes in and Jordan Lopez had an early opportunity as well. That was mostly it for the 1st half for the Blue Devils, with Salazar barely missing a shot high with 12 minutes remaining.
Tift’s opportunities improved after the half, Lopez being blocked by the netminder two minutes into the 2nd half. They soon had two tries at corner kicks and nearly had a deep rebound on frame.
Luck went their way when a Houston shot banged off the crossbar back into the field of play midway through the half. Samuel came through with a tip save with 17:45 left, then the momentum finally swung their way.
An extraordinary throw-in from by Christopher Hernandez midfield went over the heads of the back line and to Lopez, who found a slight sliver of daylight. The keeper came out and though the angle was a tough one, Lopez sliced a left-footed shot into the net with 15:04 to go.
With a slim 1-0 lead, the Devils stiffened their defense even more, keeping the ball away from Houston as much as possible and clearing frequently.
A well-timed tackle from Salazar stopped a potential break. More pressure mounted. Preet Patel kicked a ball out with under a minute to play. The final 30 seconds saw Salazar head a ball away from goal on a corner kick. The Bears had a final throw-in, but it, too, was headed by Tift as time expired.
LADY BEARS 2, TIFT 0
Like the boys game, the girls were scoreless for the first half. Houston almost had an early lead, but a goal was wiped out on offsides.
Keeper Diana Reducindo was the busiest player for the Lady Devils in the 1st half. She tipped away a corner kick, caught shots and was a weapon offensively with several long goal kicks.
One of Reducindo’s goal kicks allowed Jordyn Shivers a run, but Shivers was blocked by Houston’s goalkeeper.
Reducindo led off the 2nd half with a pair of diving saves. Houston scored its first with 26:58 to go.
Caroline Dotson had a shot go right of net. A minute later, the Lady Bears went ahead 2-0.
Dotson had another shot attempt and Shivers was barely left after a Dotson pass.