CALHOUN, Ga. — It may eventually go down as the longest soccer match in Georgia High School Association history when it’s all said and done.
Johnson’s Class 3A second match with Calhoun, which began Friday night and was suspended less than 28 minutes into it due to weather conditions, was supposed to resume on Saturday. Now, after the Knights were already en route to the west Georgia city, it has been moved again, this time to Monday at 4:30 p.m.
“We were en route to (Calhoun) and got notification from their coach about the field conditions and a video of everything and the field conditions were in poor shape,” Johnson Athletics Director Lewis Pulliam said on Saturday morning. “So just out of safety for the kids, and just trying to be level headed about it, we decided to give it a couple days of clearing and try to put it on Monday.”
When the match was suspended late Friday night, the Knights led 1-0 on a goal by Junior Castillo in the first 10 minutes. But heavy rains forced the game to be stopped with 12:37 left in the first half.
The match will be picked up at that point, but once the match is over, no matter who wins, the quarterfinal round is set to begin the next day on Tuesday.
GHSA typically does not like to move games if possible and both teams have to agree on moving a game. Waiting in the wings for whomever wins between Calhoun and Johnson is Chestatee. The War Eagles knocked off Class 3A No. 2 seed Richmond Academy 2-1 on Friday in penalty kicks (5-4).
“To be honest with you, we just found out about this as well so that's going to be a decision made by us as admin and our head coach,” Chestatee Athletics Director David Bishop said. “It's not been something we've sat down and discussed. It would be something we’d all sit down and talk about.”
With the semifinals set to be played on Friday, just three days later, there doesn’t appear to be much wiggle room.
“What I’ve learned in all my years of coaching, especially this time of year in the playoffs, is to be ready for anything,” Chestatee coach Mike Herrin said. “This isn’t something we can control so first we have to wait and see who we play, then we have to talk with that group and see what’s possible.
“But you’re right, with the semifinals set for Friday and the finals locations rented and set and not movable, we may not have a lot of choice no matter what round we’re talking about. My job is to have my team ready and that’s what we’re focused on right now.”
