MT. AIRY — Habersham Central’s Raider Stadium has not been the kindest of places for the Gainesville boys soccer team in the last few years.
Since 2012, the Red Elephants are just 1-2-1 against the Raiders in Mt. Airy. Add in a dismally cold night, like Tuesday’s 38 degrees at kickoff, and it was something Gainesville coach Elie Viviant worried would be a factor.
But seniors Pedros Santos and Armando Hernandez made sure the recent trend did not continue. The pair of forwards combined for three goals and an assist to lead Class 6A No. 2-ranked Gainesville to a 4-1 victory in a key battle of Region 8-6A unbeatens.
“Those guys played real well and I thought we were real good defensively. This is a tough place to play, especially when it’s this cold,” Viviant said. “This was a big game for us and I was very pleased overall with how we played.”
Most of the damage by both teams came in the first half.
The two teams’ traded counters in the early going with each getting a corner in the first 10 minutes. But the Red Elephants (7-0, 2-0 Region 8-6A) struck first.
Santos, off a long ball down the middle from Hernandez, outraced a pair of Raider defenders and then chipped a shot over charging Habersham keeper Alex Ramirez, who found himself outside the box, for a 1-0 lead in the 15th minute.
Habersham (3-2-2, 1-1) had a golden chance in the 25th minute on a cross but neither of two Raiders attackers was able to control the ball with Gainesville keeper Eduardo Bautista out of position.
Gainesville had an opportunity in the 30th minute but Hernandez’s cross on a free kick was cut off. After an Elvis Bonilla steal and cross, Hernandez got another chance but his shot to the upper corner was denied by Ramirez.
The Raiders took that momentum and countered getting the payoff in the 32nd minute. Elvis Navarrete gathered in a loose ball and blasted a 20-yard shot past a diving Bautista to tie the game at 1.
Three minutes later, however, Gainesville answered back. Hernandez got a goal of his own ripping a 35-yard shot over the outstretched arms of Ramirez into the left corner of the net for a 2-1 lead. The Red Elephants stretched their lead to 3-1 in the waning moments of the first half on a beautiful cross from Santos on the right side with Aram Lara using a knee to slid a shot past Ramirez.
In the second half, the Red Elephants played a more defensive posture but used several counters to create chances.
Mere moments after the second half kickoff, Santos just missed with a chip wide right in the 41st minute. Nine minutes later Santos coraled a long pass down the middle and outraced a defender for a blast that Ramirez just got a piece of to deny another goal.
In the 55th minute a Habersham defensive breakdown resulted in a fourth Gainesville goal as a Raiders’ defender fell down on the ball in the box and Santos was able to control the loose ball and shoot from point-blank range past Ramirez, who had no chance for a save with 25:36 left.
Navarrete nearly had a second goal for the Raiders in the 62nd minute but Gainesville defender Jorge Vasquez saved a goal with a beautiful goal-line clearance after Navarrete chipped a ball over Bautista in the box.
Three minutes later Gainesville nearly added on to its lead with a series of three quick passes in the box but Ramirez was able to boot away a shot at the last second.
The only blemish on the night was Gainesville senior Erick Serrato had to be carried off the field after he got tangled with a Habersham player on a sliding tackle.
“We don’t know right now,” Viviant said. “It could be cold related, it could be something worse. That would be a big loss if he can’t come back but we’ll see what it is after they look at it. Hopefully, it’s not too bad.”
HABERSHAM CENTRAL GIRLS 3,
GAINESVILLE GIRLS 2
Liz Pollitt scored with 9 seconds to lift the Lady Raiders to a thrilling win in Region 8-6A action.
Pollitt’s game-winner came on a scramble in front of the Gainesville goal following a corner after Gainesville keeper Marlyn Blanco made a diving save on a shot with just over a minute left. But Blanco was not able to corral the loose ball, setting off a mad scramble in front of the Gainesville goal before Pollitt booted the Lady Raiders to the victory.
It was the second straight region win for the Habersham girls (2-4, 2-0 Region 8-6A), both in region play and temporarily moves them into first place in the region standings, pending the outcome of the Dacula-Apalachee match which was also being held on Tuesday.
Habersham led throughout taking an early 1-0 lead on a Gainesville own goal after another Lady Raiders corner. It stayed that through halftime and into the second half.
Habersham pushed its lead to 2-0 on a Maria Gaspar goal midway through the second half. But Gainesville came storming back.
Cindy Bonilla netted a goal with just under 30 minutes to go and Symone Turner tied the game at 2-2 with a goal off a rebound from a direct kick with 14:05 left. The Lady Red Elephants had three solid chances to take the lead but each time Habersham keeper McKenna Peaster thwarted the attempts.
The loss dropped Gainesville to 3-4 overall and 0-2 in region play. Both losses have been by one goal.
