Sonoraville rallies back to even after early deficit, Decatur deals final blow
Sonoraville hosted Decatur on Friday night in the Class AAA Elite Eight and was looking for revenge against the Bulldogsafter they knocked the Phoenix out of the second round of the playoffs last year.
The Phoenix played their heart out but lost a heartbreaker as the game was much closer than the 4-2 final score in favor of Decatur indicates.
Sonoraville’s backs were against the wall from the get- go as Decatur started strong. Devin Allowitz scored his side’s first goal in the 13th minute.
Sonoraville ( 16- 5) then settled in a little bit to the game, and the possession was more even. However, Decatur (14-31) still had the upper hand, and it was evident in the 30th minute as Devin Olson struck the ball with authority and buried it in the back of the net.
It appeared like the game was starting to get out of hand, but that was soon changed. Less than a minute later, Sonoraville’s Kevin Villatoro struck from 30-plus yards out and scored his team’s first goal of the match. The momentum seemed to shift from that point on.
The halftime whistle blew, and the score remained 2-1 in favor of Decatur.
Sonoraville had much more possession in the early part of the second half and were rewarded by several chances on goal. In the 49th minute, a Decatur foul on the edge of the box set up a free kick for the Phoenix. Villatoro capitalized on the set piece chance and scored the equalizing goal. The game was back and forth from there after Sonoraville had put themselves back on even terms.
As the game progressed, the Bulldogs started controlling the ball and creating chances. Sonoraville goalkeeper Adam Schwartz had an outstanding night as he recorded a multitude of saves and kept his side in the game.
Finally, Decatur broke through and scored on a deflection off a Schwartz save.
Decatur added another goal to seal the deal in the 81st minute as Tuck Rodi slotted the ball home off a penalty kick. The final whistle blew and the ultracompetitive and scrappy game ( three yellow cards were given) finished at 4-2 in Decatur’s favor.
Credit must be award- ed to Sonoravilledespite the loss. They played very well with the star of the game beingVillatoro. The center attacking midfielder served in beautiful balls, created multiple chances and scored two goals. He is definitely a dynamic player, and the Phoenix have to be happy he is coming back next season.
Sonoraville coach Hector Holguin said was encouraged after the game despite the result.
“It means a lot,” said Holguin, who concludes his first season leading the Phoenix. “We play in a really tough region. I try to make the schedule as tough as I can,scheduling the best of the best in north Georgia. You know we had Northwest, we had Southeast. Next year we’re adding Dalton to the schedule. My thing is you make the schedule so hard, so these games are easy, and you’re prepared for it.
“I believe we had our chances tonight. It was a winnable game. Unfortunately, they made the most of their chances, and we didn’t. It (could have been) 33 to instead is 4-2, but I’m really proud of this team.”
In his first year at the helm, Holguin led the Phoenix to a programrecord total in singleseason wins as well as their first-ever trip to the Elite Eight. Holguin said he is looking forward to the future and is very confident about his team next season.
“This year my goal was to win the region championship and go forward in state,” said Holguin. “Next year, our goal is to win the region, and we’re aiming to win the state for sure. So we are going to keep working, and we start next month.”