There was no fight in Matt Tarpley’s boys soccer team on Monday night.
Tallassee, down by two goals and playing with only 10 players due to a red card, scored three goals in the final 13 minutes of the game to stun Elmore County, 3-2, in the AHSAA Class 5A, Area 3 opener.
Tallassee’s Ricky Murillo scored both the game-tying and game-winning goals in the last five minutes of the game.
“I’ve learned a little bit about my guys this season and they’re not scared of anything and not backing down from anybody,” Tarpley said. “It motivated them being down 2-0 with time running out and being down a man. They pushed through and I couldn’t be prouder of my guys.”
The two teams were deadlocked for the first 35 minutes of the game when disaster struck for Tallassee and fortune struck for Elmore County.
The Panthers were pushing towards the goal and Tallassee’s Alec Carswell misread a situation and scored an own goal when trying to kick back to goalkeeper Trey Bosch. That put the Panthes up, 1-0, but they struck again just 19 seconds later.
Tom Overdeik was controlling the ball down the left side of the field when he took a shot. It ended up falling under Bosch’s body and rolling into the net.
Elmore County then carried that 2-0 goal until the 66 minute mark of the game.
“It was a really great game,” Tarpley said. “Hats off to Elmore County. They played really well and they’re exactly the team we thought they were coming into the season.”
Tallassee’s Yuren Rodriguez was given a red card after his second yellow midway through the second half, and it looked like Elmore County was going to cruise to a victory when the Panthers were called for a hand ball in the box.
Luis Ruemmler stepped up and drained the penalty kick and cut the lead in half.
Just nine minutes later, Tallassee tied the game on Murillo’s header. Irvin Delfin kicked the corner kick to the back side and it found Murillo’s head who then knocked it perfectly into the net.
With 40 seconds left, Murillo got the ball again down the left side and dribbled up the field towards the middle. He kicked a shot that bounced off a defender and right past Elmore County goalie Preston Baker.
“Ricky is a really good player and I’m happy for him,” Tarpley said. “I personally thought he was taking too many touches and wanted him to shoot it earlier, but when it found the back of the net all was forgiven.”
Tallassee now moves to 5-4-2 on the season but now 1-0 in area play. The Tigers will host Beauregard on Thursday with hopes of moving to 2-0 and getting closer to that playoff spot.
Elmore County is now 1-2 and moves to 0-1 in area play. The Panthers travel to Brewbaker Tech on Thursday.
-- Tallassee Tribune