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Bay edges Chipley in soccer playoffs
PANAMA CITY BEACH — Seldom does a team that has just watched its season end in a 4-0 district defeat leave the field in higher spirits than the victor.
Yet it seemed that way Monday night at Mike Gavlak Sports Complex after Bay had eliminated Chipley in the opening round of the 1-3A boys soccer tournament.
Maybe that was fitting. After all, the Tornadoes (10-12-0) had defeated the Tigers (1-15) twice during the regular season by the eight-goal mercy rule.
When Bay sophomore Jarod Wilkins scored four minutes into the match it appeared that another rout could be in store. Then a strange thing happened.
With the Tigers playing loose, the Tornadoes slowly were strangled by their frustration as the score remained the same and the time dragged on. It stayed 1-0 at the first water break. Then at halftime. Then at the second water break with 20 minutes left to play.
The Tornadoes had ample scoring chances against keeper Chris Spencer, but of their 38 shots only 17 were on goal. Even when they were, Spencer at times made sprawling saves en route to 13 stops that kept the Tigers within distance of a miracle.
It still was 1-0 into the 72nd minute before Bay notched three goals in a six-minute span to make the final appear more convincing.
Until that blitz, Tornadoes coach Ron Houpt muttered, “I don’t know if we could score if they played without a goalie.”
The important thing for Bay was advancing to the semifinal round, where it will meet host Arnold (12-4-3) at 7 p.m. Wednesday night, a regional berth at stake. Marianna, which eliminated Walton 1-0 in the first play-in game Monday, will meet top-seeded Pensacola Catholic in the early game.
“We take these teams like this for granted and they had nothing to lose,” Houpt said of Chipley. “We couldn’t finish. When you have a lack of concentration this is what happens.”
The Tigers managed only three shots, and just one on goal, but when Colby Finch attempted their only corner kick with the score still 1-0 in the 70th minute anything was possible.
Chipley wound up with Salem Acuff’s header being the lone shot stopped by Bay keeper Chris Trotter. The Tigers had a solid opportunity in the first half when Jared Bozarth’s free kick from 28 yards caught Trotter out high. The Tornadoes keeper couldn’t recover and get to Bozarth’s floater, but it narrowly sailed over the crossbar.
Bay finally put the outcome out of reach when Ashton Hicks scored, followed by Dylan McCormick and then Hicks in quick succession.
Tigers coach Justin Ellis acknowledged that it was one of his team’s best efforts of the winter.
“It’s been tough,” he said of the one-win season, “but we’ll get there.”
- Chipley 0 0 — 0
- Bay 1 3 — 4
- Scoring: 1. Bay, Jarod Wilkins (Jacob Wright) 4th minutes. 2. Bay, Ashton Hicks (Jarod Wilkins) 72nd minute. 3. Bay, Dylan McCormick (Spencer Cowan) 77th minute. 4. Bay, Ashton Hicks (Dylan McCormick) 78th minute.
- Shots: Chipley 1-3-4, Bay 15-23-38. Shots on goal: Chipley 0-1-1, Bay 7-10-17. Corner kicks: Chipley 0-1-1, Bay 3-6-9. Saves: Chipley (Spencer 6-7-13), Bay (Trotter 0-1-1).
