RABBITTOWN -- If the Class AAA second-ranked West Hall boys soccer team is able to run the table in Region 7-AAA, it will have Frankie Vasquez to thank for it.
The junior goalie made four tremendous goal-saving stops, including three in a frantic two minute period in the second half, to help preserve a playoff atmosphere-like 2-0 win over fifth-ranked East Hall Friday night in a key region battle at East Hall Stadium.
Vasquez kept a scoreless game tied midway through the first half with a punch-out on a Vikings corner kick and then stopped three point-blank range shots in a 90-second span to preserve the Spartans lead with 16:00 minutes left in the game.
"It was a killer performance by Frankie," West Hall coach Andrew McCain said. "We had three starters out and some other injuries and we needed him to step up. He was tremendous."
The win for the Spartans (10-0, 4-0 Region 7-AAA) set up a showdown for first place in the region Tuesday against Dawson County in Dawsonville.
"That will be another big game," McCain said. "We're looking forward to it."
After both teams punched and counter-punched the entire first half, West Hall sophomore Omar Castillo gave the Spartans the lead with just 54 seconds left in the first half when he was able to corral a loose ball on a corner kick, turn, and blast a 20-yard shot past diving East Hall goalie Emmanuel Andrade.
It stayed that way until West Hall freshman Cesar Villa drilled a back-pass from Samuel Coto past Andrade with 38 seconds left in the game to seal the win.
In between, both Vaquez and Andrade were under near-constant assault as the two offenses went back-and-forth. East Hall had nearly a dozen solid scoring chances while West Hall had eight other chances besides its two goals.
"I felt the pressure for us to win was on me," Vasquez said. "I just tried to make plays."
Both teams had chances in the first half with six scoring opportunities each. The Spartans came out strong forcing two corner kicks and one direct kick in the first seven minutes of the game but Andrade would make two goal-saving stops to keep the game tied.
East Hall (6-2, 2-1) controlled the middle part of the first half getting three direct kicks and one corner but could not get anything past Vasquez, who stopped two East Hall attempts with a punch out and picking one corner attempt out of the air as two Vikings attackers were poised for headers.
West Hall would control the final two minutes getting two more direct kicks. Castillo nearly scored moments before his actual goal on a 35-yard blast on a direct kick that Andrade was able to redirect at the last moment, setting up the corner try that led to West Hall's first goal.
In the second half it was Vasquez's turn to shine. East Hall's Diego Porras blasted a shot from 25-yards out that Vasquez was able to get a hand on and then just over a minute later Leo Toledo took a direct kick from Santos Almendares and headed it toward a wide-open net.
From one angle the ball looked to be over the line but Vasquez used every inch of his body to lay out and deflect the ball at the last possible second over the top of the goal. That set up a corner kick that he was able to grab to end the threat.
"It was just a reflex play. I didn't think I was going to be able to get to it but somehow I did," he said.
With five minutes left in the game Vasquez was able to stop another header that looked destined for the back of the net.
McCain said he was glad to see his team answer a serious challenge.
"These guys needed a win like this," McCain said. "This was the most intense game we've had all year. I was proud of how we responded."
Friday
February 7th, 2025
9:14AM
