Wando holds on to edge West Ashley

Class AAAA boys' soccer

MOUNT PLEASANT — With no clock counting down the seconds, the final seven minutes seemed like an eternity.

The Wando Warriors deflected a flurry of shot opportunities in stoppage time to preserve a 2-1 home victory over the West Ashley Wildcats on Saturday and advance to the Class AAAA boys' soccer Lower State championship game.

"Between this game and the Summerville game (a 1-0 victory on Thursday). I'm 31 right now, but I feel like I'm 41. It's aged me 10 years," Wando coach Shilo Tisdale said.

The Warriors will play at unbeaten Spring Valley, a 3-0 winner over Beaufort, on Tuesday to see which team advanced to Saturday's state championship matches.

As is customary at high school games, time is kept by the officials on the field while the stadium clock runs to give the fans a general idea of how much longer a half will run. Injury and penalty timeouts aren't always reflected on the scoreboard, so clock operators turn the time off with two minutes to go. On Saturday, the officials determined five more minutes needed to be played.

"Five minutes seem like a long time when you're up by one goal," Tisdale said.

The Wildcats (14-9-1) took about five shots during the final minutes in a desperate attempt to send the game into overtime. Wando keeper Michael Flato made one particularly good save on a lofted ball that two Wildcats tried to punch in on headers to the upper right corner. West Ashley's Shane Robinson took a crossing shot from seven yards out, but it floated just wide of the left post and the final whistle blew seconds later.

"We did what we needed to to win the game. We just didn't do it," West Ashley coach Stephen Jackson said. "We had a chance with two open looks at the end. We just couldn't get it in."

West Ashley struck first, getting the only goal of the first half after Robinson was taken down in the penalty box on an open run. Ryan Stonaker took the penalty kick and drilled a low shot to the left side.

It was one of only two shots on goal in the half for the Wildcats. Wando (20-2) was more successful in setting up on the West Ashley end but couldn't capitalize with many quality shots. Even corner kicks and long throw-ins toward the goal netted nothing, and the Wildcats defense consistently cleared away all threats.

"We were real fortunate," Tisdale said. "West Ashley came out to play from the first whistle and it took us a half to wake up. We were a bunch of individuals at the start, and then we decided to play as a team."

The Warriors continued setting up plays on West Ashley's side of the field when it finally paid off with 22:30 left on the clock. After a Wando corner kick, the ball was headed several times before the Warriors' Brandon Burkholder was plowed over in the penalty box while trying to control the loose ball. Ralph Lundy scored on the penalty kick with a line drive shot into the left side.

Wando, looking re-energized, needed only 66 more seconds to take a 2-1 lead. Luke Hogan drove down the right side and sent a cross into the box where Nick Selby scored on a header.

Reach Bill Henley at 937-5595 or bhenley@postandcourier.com.