Tough lessons
Benedictine’s soccer team ends Coosa’s historic season in the state title game.
MACON — The range of emotions displayed by the Coosa boys’ soccer team Saturday afternoon was mirrored by head coach Ruben Maldonado after the game.
There was pride, frustration, understanding and reflection. All of which were compressed into the overall feeling of coming so far and falling short.
A tough loss against a tough team.
In a battle of the two top-ranked boys’ teams in Class AA, Coosa fought for 80 minutes with Benedictine on the field of Mercer University’s Five Star Stadium in the state championship game but ended up on the losing side of the 4-1 final.
It marked the first time the Eagles have reached the state finals and it was just their third loss of the season.
“How do we look at coming this far? I’ll tell you this. This little community in Northwest Georgia was represented and was represented real well,” Maldonado said. “Not because I’m the coach, but because Coosa has plenty of talent. I’m proud of my boys. I’m proud of my community.”
It didn’t take long for the first-year Coosa coach to start thinking about what they will need to do to get back to the
championship game.
“Obviously, every single loss is part of the learning process,” he said. “We’re losing three seniors, including starters Jose Reyes and Eric Chavez. Those are going to be some big holes that we are going to need to fill.”
Coosa (20-3) took the momentum early and
forced the Cadets to work defensively. A couple of failed shots in the opening 10 minutes finally led to a goal for the Eagles in the 15th minute when Chavez sent the ball high from about 40 yards to the top of the goal and over Benedictine’s keeper.
The sudden 1-0 hole put team from Savannah on guard and Gavin Stewart was able to get off a shot on Coosa’s goal only seconds later that hit off the right post.
Benedictine became determined and Ross Monson brought the ball down the sideline and sent it past Eagle keeper Juan Cornejo in the 16th minute.
Coosa found themselves on defense for most of the remaining first half, thwarting the Cadets’ attacks and trying to rediscover the spark that they had to begin the match. But Benedictine kept pushing, and a goal in the 35th minute gave them the lead.
Benedictine (18-4-1) would add another goal eight minutes into the second half when Monson put the ball in the corner of the goal on a penalty kick inside the box.
The score grew to 4-1 about six minutes later as Drew Lisicia caught Cornejo out of the crease and sent a shot past him. Coosa’s Abdias Perez ran into the goal to attempt to save it, but it was too late.
A special moment came before the match when Coosa senior Fernando Guzman joined the Eagles’ starters during the player introductions and was announced as an honorary captain.
Guzman was a player
for the Coosa Middle School soccer team before complications from cancer led to the amputation of his left arm and left leg.
Maldonado choked up when asked about the meaning behind having Guzman with them Saturday, even accepting the state runner-up trophy on behalf of the team.
“Fernando would have been the team captain
right out there today, and we did it for him. We did it for him,” Maldonado said.
“It’s a tough loss, the toughest one of the whole season. But in the same token, Coosa is the one who made it to the state finals. We were the ones. You heard Fernando telling the team that at the end of the game. No other team was right here fighting for that state championship.”