Finding room
Model’s boys’ soccer team takes control of its own destiny in Region 7-AA.
Model’s boys’ soccer team is in control of its destiny as the regular season comes to a close.
It was tough to take a moment from Tuesday’s soccer game between Model and Coosa that saw either team relax. It wasn’t until the end that the result was made clear.
Capping off a season of backand-forth battles between the boys’ soccer teams in Floyd County, the Region 7-AA game went to the Blue Devils in a 2-0 victory that gives them the inside track to win the program’s first region title in 13 years.
“That was amazing,” Model coach Donnie Mendence said after getting a bath from the water cooler by his players. “To come out here and beat a really good team, to have a couple of shots hit the post, I’m just so proud of these guys.”
The impact of the high-intensity win wasn’t lost on Model senior Tee Jarrard, who scored both of his team’s goals on two tight passes to the inside.
“I came in as a freshman to a team that had an 0-18 season the year before,” Jarrard said. “It’s great to see everything we’ve accomplished as a program, and it will be something special to do.”
Model (13-2, 11-2 7-AA) can clinch the 7-AA championship today with a win over Rockmart in Shannon for the regular season finale. A loss would throw the No. 1 seed into a tiebreaker between Pepperell and the Blue Devils.
“The job is not completely done,” Mendence said. “We can be excited, but we’ve got to move forward and get back to work.”
Tuesday’s game saw both teams throw their best effort onto the pitch at Coosa High School, with each having some close calls on shots and picking up breakaways on defense to end scoring chances early.
Jarrard’s first goal came in the 15th minute off of a Jason Ortega pass from the right corner. The ball went just beyond the reach
of a diving Juan Cornejo at keeper, and Jarrard deflected it into the net.
Coosa (9-6-1, 9-4) had a chance to retaliate just a few minutes later when the Eagles’ Elian Morales had a penalty shot inside the box that he put to the right. But Model keeper David Clark stayed on it and deflected it out.
Ortega and Jarrard continued to threaten on offense in the second half until Jarrard finally found his opening — this time off of a cross by Matthew Syverson — that gave Model the two goal lead with less than nine minutes to go in full time.
Coosa hosts Armuchee today to wrap up the regular season and will be on the road in the opening round of the state playoffs as either the No. 3 or No. 4 seed from the region.