OAKWOOD — Fabian Abarca could have let his head drop, could have cursed a bag full of scoring opportunities gone awry.
Instead, the Johnson High soccer standout exchanged assured glances with his teammates before summoning a devastating 17-minute performance that wiped away any thoughts of an upset and pushed the Knights into the state quarterfinals via a 6-4 comeback win on Tuesday over Pike County.
Top-ranked Johnson had watched a 2-0 lead melt away via three straight Pirate strikes but responded with its best play of the contest to score four straight and resurrect its championship chase.
"There was nothing to worry about -- even when we went behind. I just looked at my teammates and there was nothing negative in my mind," said Abarca, who scored three goals and helped create another for the Knights. "I knew my team had my back, and I had theirs. We fight for everything, and this just proves how tough mentally we are."
The Knights (18-0-1) displayed both grit and skill -- though they also know they must improve as they move forward.
"There was about a 30-40 minute spell there where we were playing as individuals; we can't do that, especially in the playoffs," Johnson coach Brian Shirley said. "We've got to raise our games, because if we do that again on Friday, we'll be in trouble."
The Knights will play host to third-ranked Southeast Whitfield on Friday in the state quarterfinals in Oakwood, and they will do so hoping to build on the fightback portion of Tuesday's contest.
"We showed some good things -- the resiliency, the guys never quit," Shirley said. "But we also made some mental mistakes and some errors, and you have to credit (Pike County). Those guys came to give us a game, and they fought all night too."
Indeed, the Knights looked set to send the Pirates (14-5) home early as Abarca and Marco Vazquez each scored inside the first 18 minutes to make it 2-0. But the visitors made the most of a defensive error to get back into the contest and then pounced early in the second half to edge in front.
"We got pulled out of shape a few times," Shirley said. "And they were athletic, and they made the most of their opportunities. We didn't give them many looks at goal, but they scored when they had the chance."
After missing a number of their own scoring opportunities -- or watching shots denied by stout defending and goalkeeping -- going behind finally sparked the Knights' scoring touch to life.
David Flores, Bryant Anaya and Abarca (twice) provided the killer blows, pushing Johnson back in front 6-3 before the Pirates tacked on a late consolation.
"They all gave us a huge lift after we got down; it was more than one guy that lifted us," Shirley said.
Abarca was lively from the start, as the senior scored off his own rebounded shot for a 1-0 lead with 29:24 left in the half. Less than seven minutes later it was Vazquez's turn to add to the tally, as the sophomore winger broke into the Pike County penalty area, maintained possession through a stiff challenge and rolled a 15-yard shot into the net.
The strike had Johnson swarming, and the Knights poured forward in search of more goals -- only to absorb a wicked sucker punch that came via a combination of opportunism and mistake.
Resorting to long balls out of the back to isolated striker Errick Sturm, the Pirates made one pay off when Johnson keeper Cooper Bowen charged out of his area to cut out one of the hopeful passes -- only to lose possession to a charging Sturm. The Pirates forward then swiveled and curled a perfect 25-yard chip into the Knights' net to halve Johnson's advantage at 2-1 with 12:27 left in the first half.
Imbued with confidence, the visitors charged forward with meaningful possession for the first time and so nearly earned an equalizer just one minute later when Sturm burst into the Johnson penalty area only to be hacked down. The foul earned a penalty kick -- but the Pirates could not convert, as Davis York rolled his effort wide.
It proved only a taste of what was to come, however, and momentum continued to swing the Pirates way after the break courtesy another penalty kick.
This time Levi Gehman drew the foul, taking a shove in the back while challenging for another long ball. The Pirates did not repeat their error of the first penalty, however, and Christopher Asher blasted the spot kick into the roof of the net to knot the score at 2-2.
The goal sparked the Johnson attack to life -- especially Abarca. But the senior could not convert on two impressive exchanges that saw him blaze one shot across the face of goal before watching an 18-yard effort tipped just around the post.
The near-misses appeared costly when Pike County took the lead moments later. This time Sturm ran on to a through ball after Johnson lost possession in its half and passed to a wide open Noah Hendrix -- who slotted home from close range to make it 3-2 with 23 minutes remaining.
It was an advantage that lasted all of three minutes.
Again Abarca proved the catalyst, blasting a shot that spilled right into the path of a charging David Flores, who prodded the ball into the net to level the score at 3-3 with 26:16 remaining.
"I just had to get that," Flores said. "I was ready to fight for it."
Back on the front foot, the Knights immediately regained the lead -- and it was Abarca who struck again. This time the senior rose to head home Edgar Torres' long throw-in to make it 4-3 Knights with 23:26 remaining.
Anaya assured some breathing room with 12:30 remaining, ripping a 25-yard drive that deflected off a Pirate defender and into the net for a 5-3 lead. And, to drive home the victory, Abarca bagged his hat trick two minutes later, scoring from close range to make it 6-3.
Sturm would not go quietly, scoring again with seven minutes remaining, but Johnson's response was too strong to deny.
