Warsaw, NC — Two of the top teams and two of the best strikers in the 2A classification over the past two years were on top of their games on Monday in the third round of the NC High School Athletic Association boys soccer playoffs.
Neither team would want to face the other short-handed, but that’s what James Kenan had to do in the second minute of overtime, falling to just 10 men after Peter Omega picked up his second yellow card.
But somehow, undefeated James Kenan won anyway, 3-2.
The Tigers (23-0-1) found a game-winner with 65 seconds left in the second half of the overtime period as Omar Covarrubias’ shot took a deflection off a Greene Central (19-5) defender for an own goal.
James Kenan, the second seed, will host third-seeded Manteo in the next round.
James Kenan led 1-0 at halftime thanks to a bounding shot from distance by Maken Augustin. The 30-yard strike in the 29th minute held until Greene Central opened up the second half with two sensational goals by their own star.
Ariel Nunez tallied a strike from a tough angle just inside the right side of the box in the 48th, then lofted a left-footed wonderstrike from 30 yards out into the upper 90 in the 52nd. That gave him 27 goals on the year.
Augustin bagged his second goal of the game (34th of the year) in the 60th minute, and both teams went into overtime tied 2-all with a brace from their leading scorers.
Agustin led a breakaway down the left side late in OT. His initial shot was blocked, but it found the feet of Covarrubias, whose short-range rocket pinged off a Rams defender past the goalkeeper with 1:05 remaining.
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