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Nov 18, 2023

U19 Capitals kick off season with a win

TJ Evans (pictured with the ball) had two of the Capitals’ three goals in their season-opening win over Toombs County this past weekend. The Old Capital Soccer League(OCSL) under-19 boys team kicked

TJ Evans (pictured with the ball) had two of the Capitals’ three goals in their season-opening win over Toombs County this past weekend.

The Old Capital Soccer League(OCSL) under-19 boys team kicked off its fall soccer season this past Saturday at home versus TCSA(Toombs County). The Capitals play 45-minute halves and compete in the Championship Division South, which is one of the higher divisions in the state of Georgia. Games range from Warner Robins down to Savannah and Brunswick. The Capitals U19 team is extremely unique in the fact that it has players from seven different area schools including GMC, JMA, BHS, EBLA, Putnam, Lake Oconee Academy, and GCSU.

Kickoff time in Saturday’s opener was around 5:30pm in the sweltering heat with temps reaching triple digits. From the beginning kickoff of the game it was a hard-fought contest with the U19 Capitals showing off their skill with excellent ball possession, passing, and movement off of the ball. With it being the first game, the “Caps” were trying out multiple formations and having players play in positions that they were not accustomed to playing on their local high school teams. Coach Andy Brock subbed lots of players in and out and the team had multiple shots on the opponents goal, but they all just barely missed the goal. TCSA received a lucky break on a misplayed ball and ended up taking a 1-0 half-time lead.

During halftime, coach Brock changed the formation to a standard 4-4-2 and the Caps came out swinging in the second half and completely took over the game. With a perfect assist from Camden Tom, Timothy (TJ) Evans got the Caps on the scoreboard with a beautiful shot from way outside of the 18-yard box leaving the TCSA goalkeeper no chance and tying the game at 1-1. Moving the ball around quickly with players making runs, the Capitals looked downright professional at times. The stingy defense of the Caps, anchored by primary center back Raymond Nava, Canon Hitchcock, and Luis Juarez, gave goalkeeper Brayden Justice time to come out of the goal and make plays on the ball. Justice ended up saving 10 shots on goal for the game. In an amazing show of hustle at a crucial moment, Hitchcock sprinted 40 yards to a ball that was sure to go out of bounds for a TCSA corner kick, but he was able to save it from going out and instead sent it back downfield for a TCSA throw-in instead. Defensive outside backs Wyatt Prince, Alexander Bakken, Jayden Bandows, and Mason Wilkes were shutting down everything coming their way from the TCSA right and left wings.

Due to brilliant passing in the midfield by Gerson Trejo, Tyler Smith, Yael Rodriguez-Flores and Brody Brock, the Caps were edging closer to another score. Trejo and Smith were vital to controlling the midfield and played the majority of the game with minimal time subbed out. Smith was in beast mode in the midfield for the whole game. After Cooper Hudson sent a nifty ball from the left wing across the middle to Brock, who was able to shake a defender and press inside the 18-yard box, the TCSA defender had no choice but to push Brock from behind resulting in a penalty kick for the Capitals and a yellow card for the defender. Last season’s South division leading scorer, Andrew Hildreth, confidently stepped up to take the PK, drilling it into the left side of the goal giving the Caps a 2-1 lead.

After controlling the ball for most of the second half thanks to some wonderful midfield play from Sergio Rivera and Bandows, who had moved up to midfield, Tom received the ball and made another beautiful assist to Evans, who again from outside of the 18 sent another rocket of a shot into the net to give the Caps a 3-1 advantage. With about five minutes left in the game, Luis Juarez was given a questionable yellow card on what looked to be a perfectly-timed challenge inside the Caps’ own 18-yard box, resulting in a successful PK for TCSA. The Caps ended up winning 3-2 at the final whistle.

Their next home game will be on Saturday, Sept. 9 at the Baldwin County soccer complex off of Highway 212.

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