Stratford scores with 45 seconds left to win 1-0 semifinal thriller over Calvary Christian

For 79 minutes and 15 seconds of their GIAA Class 4A semifinal game, the Stratford Eagles could not score.

They came close at least a dozen times — corner kicks just inches wide, headers just a bit too wild that soared past the woodwork — but could not convert. The same was true for their foe, the sixth-seeded Calvary Christian Knights, as momentum seesawed back and forth while both squads came agonizingly close to goals.

But in a 0-0 standoff of epic proportions like the one that unfolded at Stratford’s Spencer Hays Field on a balmy Thursday night, all it takes is one shot. 

With 45 seconds left in regulation, Brady Flournoy was the one who took it.

Flournoy, the younger brother of senior team captain Wes Flournoy, got ahold of the ball on nice a pass from the powerful-legged George Dunn after an unsuccessful corner kick. 

With three defenders closing in, the freshman ripped a precise shot into the left side of the net, finally beating the stout Knights defense to give No. 2 Stratford a thrilling 1-0 victory and send them to the championship game for the second straight year.

“At the end of the day, our guys just focused on what we did all year: we have to come up with it when it matters most. And Brady Flournoy made it happen. He’s a special player. Even he doesn’t know how special he can be,” head coach Iain Jones said of the nail-biting conclusion. “It was fantastic to see and a great finish.”

The 0-0 score for almost the entirety of the match did not tell the whole story, as the Eagles and Knights both created plenty of chances. Close calls all night steadily built the tension. 

The cathartic kick from Flournoy sent a rapt home crowd — not to mention the Stratford coaching staff and players — into wild celebration and gave Stratford a chance to win its second straight championship next week.

Flournoy’s teammates swarmed him, nearly dragging him to the ground as folks hooted and hollered. Dunn, who helped set up the goal with a great ball from outside the box, stood further back from the net, screaming in celebration towards the Eagles bench.

It was a wild scene, one that Jones said every single team member earned in a long, gut-wrenching contest.

“Everyone contributed tonight. They’ve really bought into what this coaching staff has taught them, and we’re a family,” the head coach said. “For it to pay off with such a play after close calls meant everything. We had George and Adi play great defense, and our freshman keeper (Jude Robertson) — oh, man. He made two incredible saves to keep us in the game.”

Jones was also quick to credit Calvary Christian, who finish the season 10-7-1 after the hard-fought loss.

“That is not a No. 6 team. Not at all. We knew they would give us a game, and they played great. Zach (Madrigal) was amazing for them, (Logan Whitley) was a really solid player. Their center back (Connor Coleman) was phenomenal,” Jones said. “They just had a well-coached team and came to play tonight, but we got through when we needed it most.”

Coleman — affectionately called “Skittles” by everyone on the Calvary Christian side, even his coach — was a true roadblock in the middle of the field on defense for the Knights. With neon pink hair that paired with shoes dyed a scintillating magenta, Coleman dismantled Stratford attacks just when they seemed certain to pay off, sliding to cut off passes with excellent timing and booting balls out of the box with impressive speed.

Such plays were necessary early and often for both sides. While the Knights had more chances early following a somewhat flat start for Stratford, both teams had plenty of chances before halftime as the game picked up pace.

The second half featured more of the same: plenty of corner kicks, near misses and some impressive saves from Stratford’s Robertson.

Jones expected nothing less.

“It’s going to be tough. It’s the playoffs. But this team has built something special over the past six seasons,” he said. “I think games like this come from that, we stick together through the good and the bad.”

Making the match even more difficult was the absence of star senior striker John Putzke. While Jones did not comment on why the smart-footed forward was not on the roster, he did speak to his team’s clutch nature.

“The second team makes this group so strong. They often know they’re not going to maybe get the most minutes, but in practice, it’s about preparing everyone,” he said. “We’ve got something like 34 guys on our roster. About 20 of them are JV guys, but they’re along for the ride.

“It’s not always about winning. We won tonight, and we want to win, but there’s a bigger picture there.”

The Eagles will play the championship game at home Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. against the winner of No. 1 Tallulah Falls and No. 4 St. Anne-Pacelli. That semifinal match is Saturday.

Stratford has a history with both squads. The Eagles narrowly defeated Tallulah Falls at home this season, 2-1, back in early March. Stratford’s state title victory last year came 3-0 over St. Anne-Pacelli.

“I think our guys are up for whatever happens… we know it will be a revenge game for them, whichever team we play,” Jones said. “We know what’s gonna be coming our way. We’ve just got to take a couple days to recover physically and emotionally, then get back and get to work on Monday.”