Published: May 09, 2008 10:47 pm            

Wild night

Graham pulls out SWD win

EAST RIVER — In one of the wildest matches of the season, the Graham G-Men got a pair of goals from Klint Kelley to edge out Carroll County 4-3 at the East River Soccer Complex Friday night.

“Carroll County is one of the teams that we compete well against,” said Graham head coach Hank Furry. “But on the same side, they’re also like our friends. The coach and I have a great relationship and the players...you saw players hugging each other because they have a relationship with us that kind of goes beyond soccer.”

“I have a lot of respect for Graham, Hank, the players,” said Carroll County head coach Marion Harris. “We left it on the field. Two of my players and Landon (Furry) talked after the game, was hand-in-hand. You don’t see that anywhere else.”

Kelley opened the scoring in the third minute after he was served a diagonal ball by Ryan Stanley and rolled the ball past Cavalier keeper Zack Surratt.

Stafford Worrell evened the score six minutes later when he received a perfect pass from Chris Hawks. Worrell’s shot went through the hands of Graham goalie Jordan Bryan and into the net.

For the next 47 minutes the teams stayed deadlocked. Both squads had chances, but neither could convert.

The one thing that caught everyone’s attention was when the car alarm on a white van in the distance went off in the 48th minute. Rather than try to turn it off, the driver simply drove off into the sunset — or so everyone thought.

When the van circled back around in the 56th minute — alarm still blaring — it signaled a shift in the game. Seconds later, Hawks took a touch in Graham’s end and fired a laser into the upper-right corner to put the Cavs up 2-1.

Their lead lasted only 12 minutes. Graham’s Scott Brewster got a free kick 30 yards away from the Cavaliers’ goal and fired on target. Surratt saved the shot but the ball went through his arms. Ryan Stanley put home an easy rebound.

One minute later, Hunter O’Neal had his opportunity for a free kick to give the G-Men the lead. Like Brewster, his shot was on target. Unlike Brewster, he did not give Surratt an opportunity to make a save as the ball curled into the upper-right corner. Graham led 3-2.

“I just hit it pretty solid, curling in,” O’Neal said. “It went in the back corner of the net.”

The G-Men doubled their lead in the 76th minute when Kelley received a long ball, faked out two defenders and beat Surratt to make the score 4-2.

But the Cavaliers never gave up, Hawks completed a one-goal, two-assist day when he tapped the ball forward to Zack Edwards. Edwards shot past Bryan in the lower right corner with 14 seconds to go.

But it was too little, too late.

“I just thought our defense played great,” said Graham’s Madison Whisman.

Carroll County (6-8-1, 3-5-1) concludes their regular season against Tazewell on Thursday.

Graham (6-7, 4-4) hosts Tazewell Monday night.

“We’re getting better every day,” Brewster said. “Everybody’s improving in every position. We’re really working together right now.”

“We played Abingdon last night and lost to them,” Hank Furry said. “But we played a great second half and I think that carried over for tonight.”

— Contact Jed Lockett

at jlockett@bdtonline.com



At East River Soccer Complex Field 1

Goals — Carroll County: Stafford Worrell (9), Chris Hawks (56), Zack Edwards (80); Graham: Klint Kelley (3, 76), Ryan Stanley (68), Hunter O’Neal (69). Assists — Carroll County: Chris Hawks (9, 80); Graham: Ryan Stanley (3). Halftime — 1-1. Shots (On Goal) — Carroll County 23 (9); Graham 17 (8). Corner Kicks — Carroll County 3; Graham 3. Offsides — Carroll County 0; Graham 1. Fouls — Carroll County 15; Graham 8. Cards — Carroll County: Jorge Ramos (Y 52); Graham: Logan Martin (Y 76).

        

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