NORFOLK — Maury’s boys beat Menchville 4-3 in penalty kicks to win the Class 5 Region B championship after scoreless regulation, overtime and golden-goal periods.
The Commodores kept their cool when it mattered most. Midfielder Frank Morgan buried the deciding penalty kick to clinch the win, while goalkeeper Khalil Williams came up with a crucial stop. Menchville sent another attempt wide, opening the door for Maury to upend last year’s region champion.
“It means everything to me, honestly,” Morgan said of what it meant to deliver for his team. “This is the first region title in 27 years. So this was the world to me, and I’ll be in history.”
“No pressure at all, all the pressure’s on the shooter,” Williams added. “No one expects the keeper to make the save. So you just go into the goal, make yourself big and make a big save. The crowd goes wild every time.”
Both teams packed the box heavily with defenders, so it’s no surprise that Friday’s game was low-scoring. The first shot on goal didn’t even come until the 24th minute, and only three came in the first half — two by Menchville, one by Maury. The Monarchs finished with nine shots on goal, while the Commodores had three.
“I love the kids. I’m so proud of them,” Maury boys coach Dan Shaffer said. “A month ago, I don’t know that we thought that we might be in this position. … It’s been a wild ride, and it’s been a lot of fun.”
Maury’s eight-game unbeaten streak continued Friday, and the Commodores have only allowed three goals in that stretch.
Maury’s boys will host Hickory in the first round of the Class 5 state tournament Tuesday. Menchville’s boys will travel to face Kellam.
Menchville girls 3, Maury 1
The Menchville girls pulled away late to clinch the region championship.
Menchville freshman Sarah Cash netted the game-winner in the 71st minute, slipping behind the defense and finishing a clean look at goal to give the Monarchs a 2-1 lead. Then, in the final minute, senior Alyssa Ware sealed it — pouncing on a rebound and knocking in the insurance goal to put the match out of reach.
“They started to be leaders and captains like I appointed them, but I think it was a team effort,” Menchville coach Lorenzo Puentes said.
Maury had struck first and fast in the opening minute. Sophomore Ella White played a sharp through-ball behind the back line to senior Zoe Redel, who calmly buried it for a 1-0 lead.
Menchville answered in the 25th minute. Sophomore Caylyn Candida had her first shot blocked by a wall of defenders, but she collected the rebound and rifled it into the top of the net to make it 1-1 at the break.
“I just told them to relax. We’re only down one,” Puentes said. “I told them just to play like we’re either tied or up right now, and we just needed to combine passes. We were just playing a lot of kickball, and then just trust your teammates.”
Menchville has faced Maury in three straight Class 5 Region B tournaments, nabbing its first win in the series Friday.
“This is amazing. This is probably the best feeling as a regional champion,” Puentes said. “But this one’s sweet because I’ve been waiting three years.”
The Menchville girls will host Ocean Lakes in the first round of the Class 5 state tournament Tuesday. Maury’s girls will travel to face Kellam.
