In the second half, the intensity of the game ramped up as Dawsey scored his second goal of the night with around 20 minutes remaining. A foul committed by the T-Breds shortly after gave the Hornets a free kick from about 25 yards out. Raintree and Negrete positioned themselves on either side of the ball, with Negrete clearing a path for Raintree to kick it into the top-right corner of the net, sealing their victory.
South Aiken’s head coach, Brad Reinhart, praised his team’s effort and attitude throughout the game, acknowledging that they were up against good players who made crucial plays. He emphasized the importance of sticking together regardless of the situation, whether they were leading, tied or trailing. Although disappointed by their loss, Reinhart expressed confidence in his team’s ability to bounce back and finish strong as they head into the playoffs.
Reinhart commended his players for holding themselves and their teammates accountable throughout the game, regardless of the score. He highlighted unity and teamwork as key factors in their successes and failures. The T-Breds are currently third in the region standings with one match left against North Augusta. Meanwhile, Aiken has matches against Midland Valley and Airport next week, providing them with an opportunity to secure a No. 2 seed if they perform well on the road.
In conclusion, despite their loss to South Aiken in their final home match before heading into playoffs season, Aiken was proud of how well they played together as a team throughout this season. They understand that winning or losing is all part of playing soccer but what matters most is that they learn from each other and come back stronger next year.
