Jackson falls to Wilson in 2 OT

FISHERSVILLE — Wilson Memorial almost saw its tournament championship hopes disappear in six minutes on Thursday afternoon.
The Green Hornets led 2-0 and looked to have the Shenandoah District tournament boys soccer championship well in their grasp, until two Stonewall Jackson goals in the final six minutes sent the match into overtime. It took two five-minute overtimes for Wilson to reclaim the lead 3-2 and the trophy.
“I thought I would be able to say how I felt but being new to this job, with this squad for the first time, it’s just an incredible experience,” said Wilson coach and Shenandoah District Coach of the Year Kyle Congleton. “It’s pretty darn cool, let’s put it that way.”
The Generals and Green Hornets were matched almost identically in talent and on the scorebook with Wilson slightly out shooting Stonewall 24-22.
“It was a great match from start to finish,” Congleton said. “We’ve been up on them before and they’ve come back before. Those guys play eighty minutes. In my opinion that’s the way all championships should end.”
In the final overtime Wilson’s Josh Miller scored the game-winning marker with three minutes remaining off a rebound. Stonewall tried to knot the game again, but the Green Hornets’ clock management kept them on top.
“It was real exciting,” Miller said. “I just got a good touch on it and put in goal.”
The Green Hornets tried to light up the scoreboard 15 seconds into the match with Quinton Knot ripping an uncontested shot from 30 yards out that Stonewall keeper Hayden Miller was barely able to corral.
With 12 minutes remaining in the first half, Wilson finally broke onto the scoreboard. Wilson forward Drake Adams launched a corner kick into a scrum in front of the Stonewall net minder. Wilson’s Wil Hall survived the sea of humanity to slip the ball into the corner of the goal and give Wilson a 1-0 lead.
Wilson freshman keeper Carter Moore saw the red sea of Generals forwards collapse around him for most of the match. Stonewall’s ball control and footwork made it even harder for Wilson’s defenders to clear the ball out of the box.
Moore played near flawless, making eight saves, through the first half and into the second, not allowing the Generals to have any easy looks or second shots.
“Carter has done a really nice job,” Congleton said. “We put him in there early and he’s grown a lot.”
In the second half Wilson put its second marker on the board. Wilson stole the ball from a Stonewall defender in the box and caught Miller off guard with 12 minutes remaining.
Fans, coaches and even a few players acted like the goal had secured the trophy but Stonewall did not pack up its cleats. With 6:40 remaining the Generals’ Armando Moreno-Paniagua took the goose egg of the scoreboard.
Four minutes later Dallas Foltz scored the tying goal taking the life out of the home fans.
Wilson adjusted to Stonewall well and despite the Generals holding the ball in Wilson’s side of the pitch for most of the extra minutes, the Green Hornets got the score when it counted.
“We really didn’t get down,” Miller said. “We tried to stay positive and get another goal. Nobody ever got down we just kept pushing. I’m real proud of them.”
The Green Hornets will host the first round of the Region B tournament on Monday, taking on the Bull Run District No. 2 seed.
Notes: Riverheads’ Chris Key was named the Shenandoah District Player of the Year after the match … Hissong received a yellow card with three minutes remaining in the second half for arguing with the referee.