Midtown Put Away "Chances" To Push Through To Quarterfinals
On Tuesday as the Georgia High School Association soccer state championship tournament continued, the Midtown Knights boys soccer team hosted the Clarke Central Gladiators in the second round of the Class 5A bracket. Overall the first half would be played well by both teams as they each got decent looks and shots on goal.
However the Knights would be the ones to score first as a corner kick by Bryce Bowman would take a Midtown bounce into the goal as Clarke Central’s Nathan Paredes, was unable to come up with the save, giving the Knights a 1-0 lead. In the second half, Midtown would have full control of the momentum as another corner kick early in the half would result in a Lathan Johnson header goal and a 2-0 lead for Midtown.
The Knights would continue to apply pressure and open up taking a 3-0 lead as Hudson Johnson would find the back of the net. Johnson’s goal would then be followed up by Bowman’s second score of the night as Midtown would take a commanding 4-0 lead with more than half of the period gone by. A late goal by Braden Dalzell would cap the night for Midtown as they picked up the 5-0 win.
“I think we just put away our chances,” Midtown head coach, Jaime Benedetti said of the difference between halves, which saw the Knights dominate in the second period of action. “We had a lot of chances in the first half that we just didn’t finish and thankfully it came together. I think you knock on the door enough times, eventually it opens up,” Benedetti added. With the win, Midtown will now set their attention to the McIntosh Chiefs, who look to continue their journey for their ninth state title. The two will meet next Tuesday with location and time to be determined.
