The Tucker Tigers defeated the Peachtree Patriots 4-2 to win the DCSD Middle School Boys’ Soccer Championship title.
The Tucker Tigers scored two goals in the final 8:54 of the game despite losing two players to red card violations in the second half a 4-2 win over the Peachtree Patriots in the DeKalb County Boys’ Middle School Championship title game at Hallford Stadium on Monday.
The Tigers were sitting in good shape with 25:18 to play in the game as Abedela Kerebo’s header into the goal off a cross from the right wing by Tizazu Jekamo for a 2-0 lead.
Christian Kabamba received a red card with 18:16 to play to force Tucker to play a man down and Peachtree quickly took advantage to tie the game.
Axel Archaga hit a free kick from 30 yards out with 18:09 to play to close the gap to 2-1. Twenty-four seconds later Santiago Garcia knotted the game at 2-2 as he took the cross from Nathaniel Choi and put it past Tucker’s William Perez Lopez with 17:45 remaining in the match.
Tucker’s Dawit Ergano was named the games most valuable player in Tucker’s 4-2 win over Peachtree.
Tucker keeper William Perez Lopex (light blue top) repelled four Peachtree shots in a two minute span in the first half to keep the Tigers up 1-0 at the half. (Photo by Mark Brock)
The game was still tied at 2-2 when Tucker’s Dawit Ergano, the game’s MVP, got loose in the Peachtree backfield and took the ball to the front of the net and got it past Peachtree tender Nicholas Boggs to put Tucker back ahead 3-2 with 8:54 to play. Boggs had made a big save with 16:50 to play to keep the game knotted at 2-2.
With 5:12 to play and Tucker leading 3-2 Jekamo received a red card and the Tigers were down two men in the game.
Peachtree kept the pressure on but Tucker’s Ergano lofted a pass deep to a racing Sunday Paskali who put the ball into the goal to make it 4-2 with 4:00 left on the clock.
Tucker keeper Lopez had three saves in the final 7:50 to keep the Tigers in front down the stretch.
Peachtree trailed 1-0 at the half as Tucker’s Jaylon Johnson scored with 25:01 remaining on the first half clock.
Lopez finished the night in goal for Tucker with 10 saves including turning away a barrage of shots (4) by Peachtree in a two-minute span to hold the 1-0 lead. Boggs finished with four saves for Peachtree.