INMAN, S.C. – The start of the 3A boys’ soccer playoffs on Monday evening meant a fresh start as the top-seeded Chapman Panthers played host to the Union County Yellow Jackets, the fourth seed from Region IV-3A.
After suffering their first loss last week, one could say the Panthers used it as motivation. Chapman’s defensive alignment created chaos and evolved into a relentless attack on the offensive end of the pitch, pulling away for an 8-0 shutout victory over the Yellow Jackets. In the tenth minute, Chapman notched a steal and followed with a long pass ahead to the defensive third of the field. Another Panther tracked it down and fired a shot on goal, which deflected off the Union County keeper and directly towards Brandon Vallecillo, who sent it to the top right corner from 14 yards away on the left side for a 1-0 Panther lead. “(Our team) didn’t like the way it felt walking off the field last Tuesday (after the regular season finale),” said Chapman head coach Chris Dowdell. “They needed to know that when you get to that higher level and lose your focus for just one moment, you will lose... Tonight, they kept their focus for most of the game.” “Brandon is one of the top players in this area, regardless of classification. He shows his class over and over with every chance he gets. He has been in a bit of a slump – by his standards – over the past two weeks as he hasn’t been scoring in bunches like he was before. He’s got that burst of speed and close control. He puts that defender to sleep for just that one second and then blows right past him.” Twelve minutes later, Vallecillo dribbled the ball over near the fringe of the 18’ on the far left and sent a cross towards Rowan Block for a header from close range and a 2-0 lead. Tyler Garcia quickly corralled a deflection in the six yard box and found the top right corner of the net, making a 3-0 Panther advantage with 15 minutes left until intermission. Union County recorded two shots from long distance late in the half in the span of a minute, but both were offline and allowed the Panthers to maintain the three goal lead. Chapman added five more goals in the second 40 minutes, as Block and Garcia each tallied their second goals of the night. Carson Desjardins also added a pair of goals, along with one from Tim Yakovenko. Jakob Schall recorded two assists, while Mario Armendariz, Zach Steading, and Vallecillo each tallied one apiece. Defensively, the Panthers held the Yellow Jackets to three shots, one of which was on goal. “I’ve been doing what I did in Florida for 10 years (prior to coaching at Chapman),” Dowdell stated about the Panthers’ defense first approach. “It’s always built on a structure of good, organized defense. These kids can tell you the defensive tactics, names, and phrases that we use over and over, drilling it into their heads. They don’t give up chances very much.” “Get ready to dig deep (against Seneca) because it’s going to be a battle of wills, good decision making, and discipline. You have to be able to take your chances when they happen, so if we find ourselves in front of the goal, we’ve got to be more clinical than we were tonight. We just have to have that commitment to and patience with defending.” Next for Chapman (14-1-1) is a second round match at home against the Seneca Bobcats on Wednesday. The start time is slated for 7 PM. Comments are closed.
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