MACON — Coahulla Creek High School and Oconee County came into the Class 3A state championship Wednesday night with a lot of things in common.
Both were 18-1-2 on the season. Both had yet to allow a goal in the postseason run.
That shutout streak held for both teams all the way through 80 minutes of regulation time at Mercer University in Macon Wednesday.
Then Cruz Barcenas broke it — and broke open the game.
Barcenas’ go-ahead goal with 1:13 left in the first overtime lifted Coahulla Creek over Oconee County 1-0 and to its second boys soccer state championship in three seasons. After winning a historic first state title two seasons ago, the Colts are back on top in the state once again.
“From the very beginning, I saw these guys pushing for this,” Coahulla Creek head coach Aurelio Jacobo said after celebrating with his family and passing out medals to each of his players. “I didn’t think that 2021 record was going to be beaten so soon, but we just came together with this starting 11 and did something special.”
The 2021 Colts were 17-2-2. This season, Creek finishes 19-1-2, winning 14 straight to end the year and outscoring teams 23-0 in five playoff games.
The 2021 team needed overtime to win its state title on the very same field two years ago, and Barcenas’ goal in extra time lifted Creek again.
Coahulla Creek dominated possession time and shooting — especially in the second half — but couldn’t get a shot to drop in regulation. The Colts held a 17-3 shot advantage in regular time, including a 12-0 mark in the second half as the Colt defense smothered most Oconee possessions.
“There was a little bit of panic. Oconee was dangerous the few times they were on our end,” Jacobo said. “They did a really good job locking up the back. The most frustrating thing was that I knew we had the team to do it, we just couldn’t get it in.”
Creek piled up the shots, but a solid Oconee defense forced a lot to come from longer ranges. Senior Saul Barcenas sent a handful of free kick opportunities that sailed just high or wide.
The scoreless ties held through the first eight minutes of the first overtime period.
Then the younger Barcenas put the Colts on the board.
“I saw it come in, and all I thought was just to shoot it,” Barcenas said. “I saw it go in the net, and it’s just the best feeling.”
Barcenas, a sophomore, ran under a pass-ahead from midfield from senior Tony Mendiola. Barcenas knocked it down, let a sprinting defender go past him, and sent the shot past the Oconee County keeper.
“At halftime, he was the one that kind of showed the most nervousness. He told me he thought he was off his game,” Jacobo said of Barcenas. “I told him, ‘It’s got to be you guys. The seniors have put in the work to get us here, but you guys are going to be the ones to pull through.'”
Those seniors include Mendiola, the elder Barcenas, Saul, Luis Torres, Adal Velazquez, Haylesh Fernandez, Christopher Chavez and Jonathan Wynn.
Creek played keep away through the second 10-minute time frame, staying aggressive enough to fire a couple of near-misses.
“It feels good to mark our name as the best in Georgia,” Cruz Barcenas said. “We’re state champs.”
Coahulla Creek is the second team from Whitfield County to win the state championship this week. Christian Heritage, which Creek defeated 1-0 earlier this season, won the Class A Division II championship with a 2-1 victory over Georgia Military College on Tuesday night. Dalton High can make it a third Thursday night. The Catamounts play Midtown for the 5A state title at Duluth High School at 7:30 p.m.