Sylacauga Soccer defends home pitch, advances in opening round

SYLACAUGA, Ala. - Sylacauga's girls and boys soccer teams opened the postseason Thursday night with a pair of wins, defending their home field in the first round.

The Lady Aggies set the tone early in a 3-1 victory over Montevallo, striking before many had found their seats. Senior Mia Dennis needed less than five minutes to break through, calmly slotting home the opener to give Sylacauga an immediate edge.

From there, the Aggies settled into their attacking rhythm. Midway through the first half, seventh grader Mckenzie Cooper made a play beyond her years, tracking down a loose, looping cross and fighting through pressure in the box. Surrounded by defenders, Cooper kept her composure and slipped a pass to Alyssa Pruitt, who knocked it in from close range to double the lead.

Montevallo answered just before halftime, capitalizing on a corner that went untouched through the box and into the net, cutting the margin to 2-1 and shifting pressure onto Sylacauga heading into the break.

That's where head coach Joey Fleaman made his mark.

Recognizing Montevallo's growing momentum, Fleaman reshuffled his lineup, sliding Pruitt from an attacking role into the back line. The adjustment paid immediate dividends. Paired with GG Childress at center back, Pruitt helped steady a defensive unit that had been under pressure late in the first half. From that point on, Montevallo found little room to operate.

With things stabilized defensively, Sylacauga struck again after the break. Natalie Perez, quiet by her standards in the opening half, produced the decisive moment, firing a shot from outside the 18 yard box that left no doubt and stretched the lead to 3-1.

Montevallo pressed, but Sylacauga held firm. The final stretch was defined by discipline and composure as the Aggies closed things out to secure their place in the next round.

If the girls brought early fireworks, the boys delivered late drama.

Sylacauga's 2-1 win over Northside unfolded as a tense, back and forth contest. Chances came for both sides in the opening half, but neither could find the breakthrough until just before the break.

With time winding down, a long clearance turned into opportunity. Jackson Carter ran onto the ball behind the defense and made it count, beating the keeper to give the Aggies a 1-0 lead and ignite the home sideline.

Northside answered in the second half, leveling the match 14 minutes in after a long throw created chaos in front of goal. Suddenly, Sylacauga was back in a fight with their season on the line.

They didn't flinch.

Three minutes after the equalizer, freshman Peyton Wheeler responded. After two earlier near misses, Wheeler found space behind the defense and finished with authority to restore the lead and swing momentum right back to Sylacauga.

From there, it was about resolve. Northside pushed numbers forward in search of another equalizer, but Sylacauga's back line stood tall. Eathen Brown anchored the defense with a series of key clearances, while goalkeeper Cole Wright handled everything sent his way.

When the final whistle sounded in both matches, the weight of the night settled in. It marked the end of the road at home for the season and the final home match for the seniors.

With two playoff wins secured, both teams move on with a shared goal still firmly in sight, bringing a blue map to Sylacauga.