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Robertsdale, AL - The Robertsdale Bears
boys varsity were able to hold back the inevitable rising flood
waters for 17 minutes.
In the fifth minute it looked as if junior
Brian Keyser had put the Pirates on the boards when he chested a
Colin McBrearty throw-in and directed into the goal. The score was
disallowed by the center referee ruling that the throw-in had
entered the goal without touching a player from either team. Of
course, a throw-in being an indirect ball must touch a player before
it goes into the goal. (Editor's note: how can a ball thrown
laterally onto the field change direction 90 degrees by itself?)
But then it happened.
In the 17th minute Robertsdale keeper
Bryant Boyington made a diving save and punched the ball away from
the goal right to the feet on the hard-charging Ryan Strachan.
Strachan did what came naturally. After all, he'd done it one
hundred and forty-three times before over the last four years.
He drilled the round white ball into the
back of net. And he went down in Alabama high school soccer history
as the state's leading career goal scorer. Number 144.
Robertsdale's Tommy Gullett answered
quickly with a goal of his own in the 21st minute assisted by the
always dangerous Zack Hadley to tie the game 1-1.
Strachan, as if for good measure, eight
minutes later nailed another. Credit co-captain Jordan Sinclair with
the assist. Number 145.
With 24 seconds left in the first half
junior Sam Miller collected the ricochet of Drew Dolan's shot and
carefully place it in the back of the net. Score at the half was
3-1.
From then on the Pirates and Bears bumped
and pushed, elbowed and tackled, tripped and punched for the next
forty minutes under the watchful eyes of three of Baldwin County
finest soccer officials. Five or six yellow cards were issued.
But these cards may as well have been
birthday cards for all the attention the boys gave them. This was
hard, emotional, intense soccer. No quarter was spared. None was
asked. Uncalled fouls were rewarded with overt retribution as
teammates sought to right wrongs as they saw them. All, apparently
invisible to the watchful eyes.
Strachan found Keyser eight minutes into
the second half for the score and Tim Canarela played a nice ball to
Sam Nokovich with ten minutes to play to make the score 5-1.
Robertsdale played hard but were over
matched by the skill, speed and soccer talent of the Pirate squad.
The Pirates are back in action on Saturday against Peachtree Ridge
High School of Georgia at 1 pm at W.C. Majors Field.
Game photos
here.
All game summaries here.
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