Gensler leads Warriors to big win over over Bluff

With the White County boy's soccer in a 2-0 hole to Cherokee Bluff midway through the second half of a Region 7-AAA soccer matchup last Friday night in Oakwood, senior Hayden Gensler came up with one of the top performances in program history to propel the Warriors to a 4-3 comeback win.

Gensler scored four goals in the final 20 minutes of the game, pushing his season total to 27 goals in 10 games as the Warriors moved to 8-2 on the season. The Warriors' win kept the team at No. 4 in the latest Class AAA state polls, and moved the Warriors one step closer to a region title.

The win pushed the Warriors to the top of the region standings with a 3-0 record, and handed the Bears their first region loss of the season after three consecutive wins. The Warriors were set to take on West Hall in a pivotal region game Tuesday, but the game was postponed due to the weather.

“This was a huge win for us,” White County coach Jon Leventhal told accesswdun.com following the game. “It’s a tough region so every win is big. Bluff was really playing tough, and we had trouble for most of the first half getting anything solid. The guys just kept their head in the game after losing the two guys and we started getting some synergy. They never quit.”

The Bears grabbed the early lead when Thomas Williams scored in the 17th minute and, five minutes later, Garrett Wayne tacked on a score off a direct kick for a 2-0 lead.

With Cherokee Bluff holding the 2-0 lead deep into the second half, things got worse for the Warriors as they went two players down due midway through the second half due to a pair of red cards. But Gensler and the Warriors refused to give up the fight.

With 19:10 left in the game, Gensler got the Warriors on the board with a shot from 12-yards to cut the deficit to 2-1. The goal not only gave the Warriors life, it began a barrage for big plays for Gensler.

“I don’t really know what hit me but I just felt I needed to do something and this feeling just came over me,” Gensler told accesswdun.com. “Once I got that first one the intensity of the team just picked up. It's hard to describe and was just unbelievable.”

Less than two minutes after Gensler's first goal, the senior struck again, this time scoring after a foul set up a direct kick for the Warriors. Gensler's header found the back of the net for a 2-2 tie. Less than a minute later, Gensler came up with a steal near the the goal and drilled a shot past the Bears' keeper to give the Warriors a 3-2 with 17:21 left in the game.

Gensler got some help from fellow senior Andrew Pierce for the final goal of the stunning eight-minute rally. Pierce slipped a pass to Gensler and he ripped a shot into the net for a 4-2 lead heading into the final 10 minutes of the match.

Bluff cut the Warriors' advantage to 4-3 on a penalty kick from Wayne, but WCHS was able to turn back several attacks on the goal in the final minutes to hold on for the win. The Bears had three shots from 5-yards or less in the final minutes, and had two breakaway attacks in the final minutes, one which led to a goal that was overturned on an offsides call. WCHS keeper Tristan Morris and the backline did enough to hold off the late offensive efforts by the Bears, with Morris coming up with a couple of saves.

WCHS assistant coach Wayne Hurst, who has been around the sport for years as a coach and referee, said the game was unlike any other game he's ever been involved with.

“It was a crazy game, absolutely nuts,” Hurst said. “I've never seen or even heard of a game like this. What a crazy win.”

Lady Warriors fall

In a battle of Top 10 teams, the Lady Warriors suffered their first region loss of the season with a 3-1 setback to the Lady Bears.

The Lady Warriors came into the game ranked No. 2 in both major Class AAA polls, while the Lady Bears were ranked No. 8. With the loss, the Lady Warriors (8-3, 2-1) dropped to No. 5, while Cherokee Bluff (7-2, 4-0) moved to No. 4.

The two teams came into the game riding a hot starts. The Lady  Warriors had yet to allow a goal in a region matchup, while the Lady Bears had allowed only one goal.

Neither team managed to put together scoring attacks early in the game. The Lady Warriors had a couple of opportunities in the opening 30 minutes of the game, but couldn't get a shot past Bluff keeper Avery Fowler.

The Lady Bears broke through with a goal near the 35-minute mark as Kaitlin Cook drew a foul inside the box, earning a penalty kick. Anna Gesser made the most of the opportunity, putting the PK in the back of the net for a 1-0 lead.

Bluff added to the lead early in the second half as Cook scored off a long pass for a 2-0 with 35:22 to left on the clock. The Lady Bears kept the attack going, and Eva Martin scored off a corner kick eight minutes later for a 3-0 advantage.

The Lady Warriors came up with their lone goal of the night near the 23-minute mark as Hazen Ramey drilled a shot past Fowler to cut the deficit to 3-1.

The LadyWarriors were scheduled to play West Hall Tuesday, but the game was postponed due to weather issues. The Lady Warriors will look to rebound with a region match Friday in Cleveland against Lumpkin County.