The Gilmer Bobcats were tasked with playing one of the top soccer teams in the state to kick off the Class 3A playoffs.
GHS made the trek to Oconee County (15-1-2) last Wednesday to face the No. 2 ranked Warriors. For 65 minutes, the match remained scoreless before OCHS finally broke through for a goal. The Warriors added one more in the waning minutes for a 2-0 victory.
The Bobcats maintained their physical style of play versus Oconee, which was a welcomed sight to head coach Taylor Johnstone.
“Gilmer County should be very proud of these young men. We proved our tenacity as we played through injuries and with an effort and physicality that I believe caught Oconee off guard,” he said.
“This game was one our best defensive performances this year. Every single one of the boys made a great defensive play. Talyn Curtis made several exceptional saves that kept the score even.”
Johnstone noted that while they were able to create chances in the first half, they did not materialize into goals. The Warriors’ offense was held in check as well, and the game was tied 0-0 at the half.
GHS came out with some changes to its tactics and formation over the final 40 minutes, which gave Oconee the space needed to score.
“In the second half, I decided to switch to a more offensive formation to better our chances of scoring,” Johnstone explained. “It left some parts of the field that have been exposed, which led to a some chances for them.”
OCHS received a corner kick with 15 minutes to play. The ball was sent into the box and deflected to a Warrior, and his shot glanced off a GHS player and across the goal line.
With less than seven minutes on the clock, a Gilmer turnover and Oconee counter attack accounted for the match’s final goal.
“The boys never hung their heads, we came back and attacked with a couple chances of our own (after their first goal), and at this point, we were pushing almost everyone up the field,” said Johnstone.
“We played all out until the final seconds rolled off the clock. This made me extremely proud.”
Johnstone believes Gilmer’s schedule prepared them to face a high-octane team like Oconee. Through out the regular season, GHS played ranked teams such as West Hall, Lumpkin and Wesleyan, as well as some formidable nonregion foes.
Looking ahead, the Bobcats will continue to test themselves outside of the region versus the likes of John’s Creek, Calhoun, Ringgold, Chesatee and Cherokee in 2024.
“I certainly believe that our regular season games helped sculpt our team,” said Johnstone. “On top of the games we get to choose to play, we compete in a strong region. We will continue to build up our teams by increasing the strength out of the regular season schedule. Our 2024 schedule already has several schools that will be exceptionally challenging.”
Gilmer finished the season with a 7-7 overall record. The Bobcats’ trip to the state playoffs was their fourth postseason appearance in a row. Johnstone noted he is looking forward to the future and continuing to grow the program.
“We have had many wins off the field that the record doesn’t show. The team is doing well in the classroom, and the boys have embraced the expectation of being in weight training. I believe that our community is truly invested in our program. We had great crowd attendance this year, especially for UFA night,” Johnstone said.
“The future is bright, our middle school had another great season. Coach Aaron Evans has been doing an excellent job, specifically preparing the eighth graders to come in and be competitive. Several times this year there has been three to four freshmen on the field. I want to personally thank everyone who came out to support us this year. I especially would like thank all our sponsors. Their contributions were greatly appreciated by our program.”