The Morning After: East & West Soccer Battle Strong Opponents

BLADEN COUNTY, NC - Bladen County high school soccer brought energy, drama, and quality play to Wednesday evening, with both East and West Bladen squads showing grit in tightly contested matches against proven postseason opponents.

West Bladen Soccer

BURGAW, NC — West Bladen dropped a tough 5-4 decision to Pender in a thrilling rematch against the 2024 2A East Semifinalist.

It was again, another one score game for the Knights.

Just last week, the Knights had claimed a 2-1 home victory over the Patriots, but this time on the road, Pender found a way to edge ahead in the final moments.

The scoring opened about 15 minutes into the match when Alejandro Lopez ran onto a through ball from Jason Velasquez and slotted home the early goal.

Despite the quick start, the Knights went into the half trailing 3-1, as Pender responded with two goals from open play and one from the penalty spot.

West Bladen came out aggressive after halftime. Ten minutes in, Jonah Bryan capitalized on a loose ball in the box, netting West’s second goal.

Moments later, Bryan struck again, this time cleanly finishing a feed from Lopez to level the match at 3-3.

Pender earned another penalty in the second half and converted to retake the lead, but the Knights wouldn’t go quietly.

With about five minutes remaining, Lopez returned to the scoresheet, this time on a setup from Jonathan Ortiz, making it 4-4.

A late injury to starting keeper Dylan Hernandez forced Kevin Garza into the game, and in the final two minutes, Pender scored the winner during the transition. Hernandez recorded 3 saves before the injury, while Garza added another in relief.

“We played really sluggish in the first half, giving up two goals and a goal off a penalty kick,” a coach shared after the match. “We came back out in the second half ready to play. We tied it up twice and had a shot. That last penalty was a momentum swing. If we had played the first half like we played the second, it would’ve been a totally different game.”

Despite the heartbreak, West Bladen showed fight, character, and depth as they gear up for a quick turnaround against Union.

The Knights hold a 2-4-2 record going into Thursday’s game against Union. They look to improve on that record with it being that last nonconference game before starting conference play.

East Bladen Soccer

ELIZABETHTOWN, NC — East Bladen played 100 minutes of high-level soccer against visiting Hobbton, earning a 2-2 draw in a physical and mentally demanding battle.

Hobbton, the 2024 1A State Runner-Up, returned much of its core despite graduating its top goal scorer, and proved they’re still a force in eastern North Carolina.

The Eagles opened the scoring in the 35th minute (6:26 on the clock) with a well-executed set piece: Ishaq Algozy connected on a finish after a clever assist from Andrio Garcia.

After holding Hobbton scoreless through halftime, East added another in the 64th minute (16:10) as Jayce Hatcher converted a chance assisted by Algozy, stretching the lead to 2-0.

But the visitors wouldn’t go away. Hobbton pulled one back in the 70th minute, then equalized just four minutes later, swinging the momentum late in regulation.

Despite the shift, East’s defense and goalkeepers held firm through two tense overtime periods.

“I thought we played a great game,” Head Coach Jay Raynor said. “Due to lack of personnel, we had to bump players up and postpone the JV match. But the guys stepped up. We scored two amazing goals on set pieces, defended well, and had amazing play from our goalkeepers.”

“Hobbton gave us all we wanted. We bent but didn’t break. Being up 2-0, it looked like we’d come away with the win, but fatigue set in. Still, the guys didn’t hang their heads. They battled and finished with pride.”

The result against a defending state finalist underscores East Bladen’s resilience and potential, as they continue building momentum for the heart of their season.

They now hold a 3-3-3 record on the year and look to rest up before two more important conference games next week against North Duplin on Monday and West Columbus on Wednesday.

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The Morning After: East & West Soccer Battle Strong Opponents