Mount Airy put down a resilient Uwharrie Charter team on Monday to advance to the Elite Eight of the 1A State Playoffs.
The Bears had another explosive start, scoring their first goal before many of the fans were settled into their seats. Sergio Garcia scored just 34 seconds into the first half, but the Eagles evened the score just a few minutes later. Elkin Lopez scored twice in the first half to put Mount Airy up at the half.
Uwharrie Charter struck early in the second half to cut the Mount Airy lead to 3-2. Angel Osorno scored to give the Bears some breathing room at 4-2, then Mount Airy held Uwharrie off as the Eagles failed to close the gap with just nine players left on the field.
“I thought we had a really good performance tonight,” said Bears coach Will Hurley. “I just think that we set the pace right off the bat with that 30-second goal. I have to give them (Uwharrie) credit; I didn’t think they would let up and they never did.
“I knew that if we kept playing like we’re capable of playing we could do it. I think it was a pretty good game overall.”
Uwharrie Charter (12-4-1) is the first conference champion that Mount Airy has faced in the postseason. The Eagles won the Piedmont Athletic 1A/2A Conference with a 9-2-1 record.
Before Monday, Uwharrie had not allowed more than three goals in a single match all season, and only two teams managed that feat. Mount Airy, meanwhile, has scored four or more goals in 21 of its 25 matches this season.
Mount Airy’s 153 goals this season are the second in the state and fifth in the nation according to MaxPreps.
The first of these goals was Garcia’s lightning-fast strike. It was the first of three first-half goals for the Bears and the first of eight first-half shots.
The Eagles were able to even things up in the sixth minute on a penalty kick. Jordan Harrison heaved a throw-in over Mount Airy’s back line for teammate Brady Mowers to chase down. The Bears’ Carter Bray made a challenge for the ball but was called for a foul inside the box and presented a yellow card. Keeper Edwin Ramirez guessed correctly on the direction of the PK taken by Danny Palma, but the shot was placed just out reach.
It was less than four minutes later that Lopez got his first of two goals. The Granite Bear junior cut to his right just outside the 18-yard box and fired a laser beam past the keeper.
Uwharrie Charter was able to possess the ball well in the midfield, but struggled to penetrate Mount Airy’s back line. As a result, the only shot the Eagles had in the first half – other than the PK – was a header from Mowers that was saved by Ramirez.
Lopez, Garcia, Osorno and Adrian Rodriguez each had shots for Mount Airy in the first half. It wasn’t until the 36th minute that Lopez notched his second goal of the game, which came from a header on an assist from Noah Hart that Hurley called “beautiful.”
Lopez’s 45 goals this season are the most in the 1A division, fourth-most in N.C. among all divisions and tied for 34th in the nation.
Uwharrie Charter matched its first-half shot total in the first eight minutes of the second half. Carlos Parroquin’s shot in the 46th minute was saved by Ramirez, but Joseph Phetmixay found the back of the net in the 48th minute to make it 3-2.
“I think they get too comfortable,” said Hurley when talking about the Bears giving up early second-half goals in its last two matches.
“The one positive thing that comes from that goal they scored in the second half is that I can use that as an example, you know. Say, “this is what happens when you come out like that.’”
Hurley called the next few minutes “nerve-racking” as the Bears staved off an assault by the Eagles. The coach was calmed down in the 50th minute when Osorno sent a screamer from 35 yards out into the Eagles’ goal on a free kick.
“I’m really glad we got that free kick when we did,” Hurley said. “It let me breathe a little easier.”
Shortly after Osorno’s goal, Phetmixay picked up a yellow card. The senior would later pick up his second yellow to receive a red card. Uwharrie Charter’s Palma also received two yellow cards to leave the Eagles with just eight field players and a goalie.
The Bears had opportunities to extend the lead but couldn’t convert. The important thing was that Mount Airy didn’t allow another Uwharrie goal, giving the home team its 25th consecutive win.
“I’m really proud of how the kids played,” Hurley said. “I saw some things we can work on, but those are easy fixes. I think we’re going to have to communicate a little more, and the midfield is going to have to work harder this next game. Scoring-wise I thought we were on.”
The competition has increased each round of the playoffs, but this is no surprise to Hurley and the Bears. By winning Monday’s match, Mount Airy will make its third appearance in the Elite Eight in the past five seasons.
Only four teams remain in the 1A West. On the top half of the bracket, No. 1 Christ the King Catholic High School (19-1) will host No. 4 Gray Stone Day (18-4). On the bottom half, No. 2 Mount Airy (25-0) will host No. 10 Langtree Charter (11-7-1). That match is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 11.
Langtree reached the Elite Eight by defeating No. 23 Thomasville 6-0, No. 7 Corvian Community 6-2 and No. 18 Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy 4-2.
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com
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