By Cinthia Rico COLLINSVILLE – Crossville’s varsity boys soccer team defeated Collinsville 1-0 to claim the DeKalb County Cup over the weekend at Cagle Civitan Stadium.
After claiming the first county soccer cup win, Crossville’s co-coach, Jimmy Franco, said they felt great.
“It was a hard-fought game, and both teams gave it their all,” he said. “Overall, both teams did very well.”
The Class 5A top-ranked Lions took on the Class 1A/3A top-ranked Panthers in the championship round, where both teams showcased the county’s soccer programs’ athletic talents.
The Lions’ offense, led by Cesar Franco, Uriel Garcia, Adan Garcia, and Armando Franco, got things moving early with multiple shot attempts, but the Panthers’ defense held steady, and Keeper Jinen Shukal recorded multiple saves.
Crossville’s push paid off at the 3:52 mark when Armando Franco made his way into the danger zone and netted a goal to the right side of the net.
With the pressure on, Collinsville’s Aaron Herrea attempted back-to-back shots, but Crossville’s goalie Diego Gomez’s fast reflexes deterred the Panthers’ advances.
At halftime, the Lions held a 1-0 advantage.
The second half saw intensity from both sides of the field, including a goal from Crossville’s Uriel Garcia that was retracted and the play replayed.
The Lions’ defense doubled down as time ran out, holding the Panthers scoreless to capture the county title with a 1-0 victory.
“There were some high-intensity moments with very emotional times on both sides, knowing that it was for a championship,” added co-coach Peyton Knop.
“This has always been a rivalry, but when it’s for a trophy like this, it just means that much more, and you can tell both teams wanted it.”
2024 All-County Tournament Team Crossville senior Omar Gomez garnered all-county honors and was named tournament MVP along with teammates Josue Hernandez, Armando Franco, and Johnny Domingo. Collisville’s Jinen Shukal, Eddy Ortiz, and Aaron Herrea; Geraldine’s senior Giovanni Mata and Jason Hernandez; Sylvania’s senior Yonathan Cinto and Andric Canales.
Photo by Cinthia Rico Tournament MVP Crossville’s Omar Gomez
The two-day tourney kicked off on Friday, where the Lions picked up a 2-1 win over Geraldine and the Panthers shutout Sylvania 4-0, advancing to the final round.
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