Hayesville – After 80 minutes of soccer between Murphy and Hayesville on Sept. 21, most of the fans – and even some of the players – were ready to go home at the end of full time.
However, the Smoky Mountain Conference decided to play overtime this year, with two extra 10-minute periods like the college game had before eliminating it this year. So after battling to keep the Yellow Jackets off the scoreboard during the final 17 minutes of regulation, the Bulldogs (1-5-1 overall, 1-3-1 conference) did the same in of overtime to fight for a 2-2 draw.
“They were pushed today, and they stayed in it,” Murphy head coach Justin Butler said. “You can tell they were dragging at the end. It was tough. They bit the bullet, and stayed in there and kept playing.”
Butler was proud of his team for playing with more heart, especially after a mercy rule 11-2 loss only two days earlier against Highlands. The Highlanders will likely battle with Blue Ridge for first place in the conference. Both look to press up and score quickly, and are more skilled than Murphy.
Hayesville (1-2-2 overall) was more on the Bulldogs’ level, though still presented some challenges. The Yellow Jackets’ football field is turf, compared to Murphy’s grass, which means a hotter field on a day when temperatures were in the mid-80s. They also had three kids in Kevin Kleckner, Jacopo Matticari and Zach Townsend with the speed and skill to make runs at the goal.
The Bulldogs made some changes on the backline after the match against Highlands, emphasizing kids who
were comfortable communicating with each other since that had been lacking in previous games. The communication was better early in the match, though naturally it waned as Murphy got tired. When that happened, Bulldogs goalie Cale Harger stepped up to make sure Hayesville never got the go-ahead goal.
“He’s really coming into it quickly,” Butler said. “And this is a young man playing soccer; this is his second year ever. When I got him last year as a middle schooler, he had never seen a lined soccer field before. He is just turning into a monster of a goalkeeper.”
Murphy’s two goals came from Jerry Bui, who got by his defender in the 22nd minute of the first half and later three minutes into the second half. He also scored both the Bulldogs’ goals in an 11-2 loss to Highlands two days earlier
“He’s eager to learn, eager to understand,” Butler said. “It’s heart in the way he plays this game, and it’s contagious.”
Hayesville would answer both of Bui’s goals, with Townshend scoring in the 31st minute, and Matticari deflecting one off Harger’s hands into the back of the net in the 63rd minute. The Yellow Jackets controlled the run of play after Matticari’s goal, but couldn’t break through.
Murphy didn’t get a great opportunity after that, and Hayesville had several shots in extra time go high or wide of the net.
“From the mental side of it, wanting to see that will of the team and everything where we kind of showed some cracks the last couple games, this game I saw some guys who wanted it and stayed in it,” Butler said.