By Kendall Patterson
CCI Sports Editor
In the fight for the district first seed the Eagles fell to Lexington 1-3. In the battle for the District Championship, the Eagles fell to the Tigers 0-3. When the Eagles played Lexington another time for the region championship tables were turned with the Chester County Eagles winning 2-1.
The Eagles regional championship appearance also earned them the opportunity to play at sectionals against Martin Luther King Magnet High School.
MLK scored a goal in the first three minutes of the game, but the Chester County Eagles quickly responded with a goal scored by Chris Wilger.
The Eagles and the MLK Royals then kept it 1-1 through regulation and to ten minute overtimes in a contested game.
The Eagles felt like if the game went into PKs, they would win. And that happened.
Colston Callis scored the first PK for CCHS then MLK scored their first one as well.
Wilger and Ryan Tannehill both scored theirs, but the respective Royal kickers missed theirs with one being blocked by CCHS goalkeeper Damien Mayo and the other one shot being wide left.
All that needed to be done was for the Eagles to get the next PK for the win with Chance Thompson up.
Thompson kicked the ball and it went in and the Eagles fans went wild with his teammates rushing to him to celebrate. That goal advanced them to Spring Fling 2024, the first time for CCHS Eagles Soccer history.
Eagles seniors Amos Elliot, Thompson and Callis shared their thoughts on the sectionals game, how it feels to have made it this far and how it feels to make history for Chester County High.
“They possessed most of the game. We were the underdogs the whole game, but we just fought through and came out on top had the PKs won. We have a good keeper Damien. Great defensive effort. Everyone played hard,” Amos Elliot said.
“The boys worked hard all season. They deserved this moment. I congratulate all of them. I couldn’t have done it with a better group of boys,” Callis said.
“Them [Royals] scoring first in the first couple minutes is a hard blow, but one thing our coach and our team always said is ‘we’re never going to give up and we’re going to keep trying until the last minute no matter how bad we’re getting beat.’”
Eagles Head Coach Bobby Helton mentioned how that is what is special about the 2024 soccer team.
“These boys have no give-up in them. None at all. All they done the last three games is continue to show people that when you continue to work hard, work hard, work hard and never give up, good things happen. That’s a life lesson for them and a great lesson we’re learning in soccer this year,” Helton said.
On Tuesday, the Eagles started Spring Fling in a game against Millington. Read the Chester County Independent next week for details on the state soccer tournament.
