Peachtree Ridge Lions Soccer

Video Highlights

Last year, the Grayson Rams came into PRHS Stadium and stunned the Lions 2-1.  This year, the Lions played the “payback” card, marching into Grayson Stadium and soundly beating the Rams 4-2, and simultaneously raising their regular season record to 5-0-0. 

In an intense game riddled with fouls, yellow cards and red cards, the Lions dominated possession and held the Rams to just 3 shots on goal on the night.  “Our passing game was strong once again,” stated Coach Ryan Sutton, “we played with a lot of intensity, with our midfielders working extremely hard.”  Mike Valenzuela and Juan Herrera dictated the tempo of the match, while Andres Rodriquez, Daniel Rodriguez and Josh Mahram made great runs and played some great balls that kept the Rams defense on its heels.

The Lions repeatedly tested the Rams in the first 15 minutes of the game, and it looked as if it might be a night where the hard work was not going to pay off.  The Lion frustration became a roar at the 16-minute mark of the first half when Chris Cook broke free down the right side of the field.  Fending off a defender his shot ricocheted off the post into the middle of the box where both Daniel Rodriquez and Jeremy Rector both had quality chances but failed to convert.  

However, just one minute later Rector broke free down the right side.  After beating a Ram defender on the baseline, a nifty combination with Cook just missed connecting.  The ensuing scramble saw the loose ball deflected by the Ram defense to the feet of Rector who calmly slotted the ball into the side netting for the Lion’s first goal of the contest and the 1-0 lead.

The Lion’s second goal was special.  After another strong run down the right side by Rector, he dropped the ball to Daniel Rodriquez who found Herrara in the middle of the field at the 25 yard mark.  Herrara split two Ram midfielders with a pass to Rector who had posted-up at the top of the box against two Ram Defenders.  Rector turned, split the two defenders with a pass into the space in front of Herrera, whose run was perfectly timed, leaving him one on one with the keeper.  He made the most of his chance, beating the keeper low to his right side for the 2-0 lead.  

The Lion’s dominated the Rams, outshooting their opponents 13-3, possessing and controlling the game the entire night – that is except for a 2 minute and 30 second span at the end of the first half.  Two of the three Ram’s shots on the night found the back of the Lion’s net during that stretch.  One came on a penalty kick, the other on a deflection.

“As well as we played, going into half time 2-2 was frustrating.  Unfortunately bumps in the box are going to occur on set-pieces as everyone scrambles for the ball,” said Sutton, “While the Grayson player went down and Grayson was awarded the penalty kick, I don’t believe he would have had a play on the ball nor do I feel it was intentional – it is one of those things – that’s soccer.”

The Lion’s turned-up the intensity in the second half and at the 5:15 mark, Valenzuela found Cook at full stride one-on-one with a defender in the middle of the field.  Cook quickly went around the defender. With the Ram’s keeper charging out of his net to try and cut down the angle, Cook calmly dribbled around him too, directing the ball into the open net and returning the lead to the Lions at 3-2.  

After Cook’s goal, the Lions possessed the ball beautifully and maintained control of the contest.  The stingy Lion defense further tightened, and the Rams offense never penetrated farther than the top of the box the remainder of the game.   

With 10-minutes to go, Lion defender J.T. Taplin, played a long ball that caught the Ram defense pushing forward.  A race to the ball between two Ram defenders, the Ram Goalie, and Rector was won by Rector, who timed the high bounce perfectly and headed the ball into the net from the 18-yard line for his second goal of the game.  The goal was the cushion that the Lion’s needed as the match ended 4-2.    

Next up, the Varsity Boys travel to Habersham Central on Tuesday, March 8, to take on the Raiders.  The Varsity Boys play the early contest at 5:30 p.m., be there!