Science Hill's Jake Jensen (16) celebrates his goal with teammate Carlos Prado Aponte (27) during Tuesday's Region 1-AAA semifinal win at Jefferson County.
Science Hill's Jake Jensen (16) celebrates his goal with teammate Carlos Prado Aponte (27) during Tuesday's Region 1-AAA semifinal win at Jefferson County.
J.D. VAUGHN/SIX RIVERS MEDIA
Science Hill's Jake Jensen (16) celebrates his goal with teammate Carlos Prado Aponte (27) during Tuesday's Region 1-AAA semifinal win at Jefferson County.
J.D. VAUGHN/SIX RIVERS MEDIA
Science Hill goalkeeper Foster Childress prepares to throw the ball forward after making a save.
J.D. VAUGHN/SIX RIVERS MEDIA
Science Hill's Tingen Hatcher (18) heads the ball forward against Jefferson County's Giovanni Lopez (15).
DANDRIDGE — Science Hill goalkeeper Foster Childress was so dialed in, he could clearly understand another player several yards away uttering “unlucky” in Spanish.
Childress knows the language, just like he knows how to deliver with Science Hill’s season on the line. His clean sheet helped the Hilltoppers secure a berth in the sectional round with Tuesday’s 4-0 win at Jefferson County in the Region 1-AAA semifinals.
“I have very distant relatives who live in South America and when I was really young, we would go every other year and stay with them,” Childress recalled. “I even went to preschool there for a few months, so I picked (Spanish) up just being there in Bolivia.”
Childress, who plans to major in mathematical economics at the University of North Carolina, picked up 10 saves Tuesday night.
Lucas Trull helped give Childress some goal support quickly. In the 11th minute, he broke the scoreless tie on an Iden Brown assist.
“That’s a big advantage, because you have a strategy when you come in,” Science Hill coach David Strickland said. “If you score first, you can continue with your strategy. If you get scored on, it changes everything. And you have to get riskier. Those pockets of space started opening up as (Jefferson County) had to try and go for the win.”
Trull later assisted Science Hill’s third goal in the 66th minute. Childress began the attack from the back, Jake Jensen finished off the rebound.
The Hilltoppers (9-9) took a 2-0 lead in the 50th, when Yassin Kassiby sent a through ball to Thomas Faleke.
And even when Science Hill began subbing players, the scoring didn’t stop. Carlos Prado Aponte delivered the final goal off a Mikel Muingbeh assist.
Strickland especially praised the effort of his midfield, along with Noah Davis and Tingen Hatcher along the back line.
“A lot of dirty work is done in the midfield you don’t notice from Jake, Yassin, Junior (Serrano) and Iden,” Strickland said. “Those four guys did an incredible job for us, did everything we asked them to.”
Jefferson County, which won its second district title in program history and first since 1998, finished the year 9-9.
UP NEXT
The Hilltoppers travel to Kingsport Thursday for their fourth meeting with Dobyns-Bennett this season, this time for the Region 1-AAA title and the right to host Saturday’s sectional match. The Indians won a 2-1 thriller over Sevier County in the semifinals.
Greeneville 2, Elizabethton 0
GREENEVILLE — The Greene Devils (10-10-1) scored both of their goals in the first half of a rain-soaked Region 1-AA semifinal win over Elizabethton. Samuel Gourley got the first, coming when he stole the ball from the keeper in the 15th minute. Connor Stayton made it 2-0 in the 22nd minute, converting a one-timer from David Fisher and Austin Beets.
Tanner Myers made five saves in the shutout win, as the Greene Devils outshot the Cyclones 24-6 overall and 13-5 on goal.
Greeneville will host David Crockett for the Region 1-AA championship Thursday.
The District 1-AA regular season champion Cyclones saw their season end at 10-9-1 overall.
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