Orange handles Louisa in JD semifinals

The string of upsets in the Jefferson District boys’ soccer tournament finally ended with the second semifinal game Tuesday night between sixth-seeded Orange County and seventh-seeded Louisa County. The higher-seeded Hornets were able to top the Lions, 3-1, and advance to Thursday’s championship game against fifth-seeded, Charlottesville.

Orange scored goals in the 11th, 13th and 22nd minutes of the first half off the feet of sophomore midfielder Ryan Jenkins, junior forward Shane Bartholomew and senior forward Antonio Flores.

“When [Bartholomew] and Antonio [Flores] are up front, both of them have enough size to body strong and enough speed to get around guys,” said Orange coach Dwane Pugh. “They are a dangerous combination. I won’t say they are the best in the district but I don’t know who I would trade for them.”

Bartholomew, who also had an assist, left the game shortly after Orange’s second goal with an injury. He could have returned, but Pugh thought it wise to sit him.

“He had been banged up some because he’s one of our main scorers and people focus on him … when I saw that he sort of had injured something and we were up two goals, it seemed prudent to say, unless I needed him again, to let him ice it quick,” Pugh said. “He could’ve played if it had gotten tighter. If it would’ve gotten to a one-goal [margin], I would’ve looked at him going in.”

The Hornets were unable to notch any more goals but the three would be enough, however, as Louisa managed just one goal during the 33rd minute of the first half from senior defender Fletcher Jones, playing out of position in midfield.

“That actually was one of his first goals, I think,” said Louisa coach Joel Abe. “All year he had been playing, he didn’t have a chance to score, and now, moving him to midfield and he gets one.”

Though Orange dominated the opening minutes, Louisa started to turn the tide and play more on Orange’s side of the field during the second part of the first half, leading to the goal to cut into the lead before the break.

“We came out jittery,” Abe said. “Once we started getting the ball movement and started getting our confidence back up, we were able to start to put more consistent pressure on them and it sort of paid off in our ability to get a goal.”

Abe believed cutting the margin to two goals was an important part of the comeback effort.

“To show that you can do it and to cut the lead down to two allows you to have a lot more options because traditionally a two-goal difference is one of the more dangerous goal differentials in soccer because you get one goal, and suddenly it’s an open game,” Abe said.

Pugh pointed out that Louisa was able to make its run while he was subbing out players, trying to keep everyone fresh.

“In trying to coach for the playoffs, I wanted to keep my men as fresh as possible and also give my bench some experience and to let them see what they could do in a pressure situation,” Pugh said. “A lot of these guys are10th- and ninth-graders that I subbed in. The quality of soccer dropped, not the desire.”

The Lions were unable to turn their improved play into goals, however, partly thanks to the big boot of Hornet senior goalkeeper Joe Morrison.

“Their keeper’s ability to knock the ball eighty yards it seemed certainly caught us on our heels and we got behind early,” Abe said, noting that in the last meeting between the teams that Louisa won 3-2, Morrison sustained an injury and left the game.

Morrison recorded three saves on the night and had a far-reaching influence on his team and the game, even assisting on Orange’s third goal with a punt that bounded far beyond the midfield line and into the path of Flores.

“I am very thankful he is our goalie,” Pugh said. “He can have as big a game as anybody that you’ll find in goal. And he can punt the snot out of it.”

The Hornets’ win was the first victory by a higher-seeded team in the tournament. Orange defeated third-seeded William Monroe, 3-2, while the Lions upended second-seeded Monticello 4-2 on Friday. Monticello had defeated Louisa 4-1 in both games this season.

“We started playing together,” Abe said. “We had some rough spells. But then we did some lineup changes. Our kids started just believing and started working together and once that happens, we played good defense, and our keeping was fairly good, and we were able to get some goals which allowed us to give Monticello a good run for it.”

Now, the Hornets turn their attention to the Black Knights, who defeated them by scores of 1-0 and 4-2 this year.

“Charlottesville knows that we can give them all they want,” Pugh said. “I know they are banged up. [Sophomore midfielder] Reuben [Chapman’s] out. That is a key player for them. But they’ve got a strong squad. I’ve said all year long that the best quality of soccer that’s been played against us has been Charlottesville.”