Rome boys’ headed to Elite Eight; girls lose

The Rome Wolves traveled three hours to play their second round game Tuesday night, but that didn’t seem to matter.

Rome got ahead early and held firm to a 2-1 victory against Veterans on the road in the second round of the Class 5A state playoffs. Meanwhile, the Rome girls’ soccer team saw its season end after losing to Veterans, 9-1.

Rome got an early goal in the first half from Alex Cornejo, while Eduardo Zavala extended the lead with a goal just before halftime. Eric Luna recorded assists on both goals and keeper Grant Chambers posted three saves.

“One of our best games of the season. We pretty much controlled the match from the start,” Rome coach Chris Cochran said. “It’s hard to play such a perfect 80 minutes after the road trip, but we came in and we just dominated play.”

The key to Rome’s success was the midfield, with Musta Nyamuranga, Cooper Williams and Eduardo Blanco consistently winning balls and sending them forward. The Warhawks had no answer and didn’t score until the final minute of the match.

The Wolves (12-4-1) play again Saturday at Barron Stadium against either Dutchtown or Grady, two teams that both pulled upsets in the first round of the playoffs.

The Lady Wolves (10-10) fell victim to their opponents’ speed as Allie Gaither scored the team’s only goal on a penalty kick in the first half. Goalkeeper Kat Tracy saw plenty of action, recording 10 saves.

Despite the loss, coach Jessica Hewitt said she was proud of how the team fought all season long and how far it got this season.