For 157 minutes over two games the Christian County boys’ soccer team had little to cheer about at the Boots and Butts Soccer Classic on Saturday. However, a last-gasp comeback and shootout victory in the nightcap changed everything for the Colonels and propelled them into Sunday’s 5th-place game. The Colonels fell 6-1 to Franklin County in their early game, and appeared to be headed for another defeat against Marion County, but heroics from Luke Ferrell and a tense shootout victory handed them a 4-3 win and vital momentum.
A goal within the first 5 minutes by Franklin County’s Drew Harrod put the Colonels behind in the opener, but Emmanuel Ixcol broke through the Flyers’ defense to tie it up with just under 25 minutes to play in the half.
It was downhill from there for the Colonels, with Phillip Peiffer finding the back of the net for the Flyers just before the halftime break for a 2-1 Franklin County lead. Harrod completed his hat trick with 2 goals inside the first 10 minutes of the second half to stretch the Flyers’ advantage to 4-1, before Gixon Melendes and Olger Farfan tacked on the last two Flyers’ goals for the final 6-1 score.
In the late game, Ixcol gave the Colonels their first lead of the day with an early goal, but an own goal off the leg of County defender Zach Holmes pulled Marion County even at 1-1. The Knights twice struck the crossbar, but neither team could gain the advantage and the game remained tied after the first half.
Goals by Alex Huerta and Tanner Roeder inside the first 10 minutes of the second half appeared set to extend the Colonels’ misery, as the Knights took the 3-1 lead into the last 3 minutes of the game. However, the Colonels’ Luke Ferrell was having none of it, cutting the lead in half with a goal before popping up at the far post to nod in a cross and send the game to a shootout.
Both teams were perfect through their first 4 penalty kicks, before the Knights’ Huerta skied his effort to open the door for the Colonels. Up stepped County goalkeeper Ben Settle, calmly converting to cap the amazing comeback and send the Colonels and their fans into jubilation.
Up next for Christian County is a match-up with West Jessamine in the 5th place game on Sunday morning. The Colts lost in a shootout to Apollo in their first game on Saturday, before topping Campbell County to set up the meeting with the Colonels.
