With solid defense and a lightning-bolt goal, Stratford downs Bulloch in quarterfinals

The Stratford Eagles shook off the rust with relative ease in the playoffs Friday night, as they used stellar back line play and a rocket of a goal in the second half to get a 2-0 win over the Bulloch Academy Gators in the GIAA 4A quarterfinals at Spencer Hays Field in Macon.

After earning the No. 2 seed in the bracket to get a bye week, the Eagles had not taken the field since their regular season finale April 29. 

While the offense did not soar to its usual heights, Stratford came mere inches away from two additional goals — one in the first half and another in the second — that both rattled off the crossbar and were just barely cleared by bulloch.

Thanks to its lights-out defensive play, the near-makes did not figure into the final outcome.

“That’s just the luck of the game. Sometimes you’re off by an inch, a half-inch, and the game’s 4-0,” head coach Iain Jones said after the game. “End of the day, defensively we had a lot of composure. Two and a half weeks off can do a number on you, and it’s been stressed to the team all week: mentality’s gonna be the key.

“If you’re not mentally ready, a team like this can knock you off.”

Stratford improved to 15-3 on the season, while the Gators dropped to 7-6-1 in the season-ending loss. Bulloch defeated No. 7 King’s Academy in a 1-0 showdown in the opening round. 

The Gators clashed with Stratford in their first game of the season, losing 6-1 in what started as a 2-1 game at halftime but turned into an offensive romp for the Eagles. Stratford’s defensive play and performance in goal have been key to their success, as the Eagles allowed only 15 goals all year, according to MaxPreps.

That proved true again, as defenders George Dunn and Adi Patel set the tone by dismantling any semblance of attack that Bulloch pieced together.

“It’s so tough to pick just one or two, but George and Adi are our heart and soul on the back line,” Jones said when asked to pick a standout performer from his team’s quarterfinal win. “Those two guys, if they’re not on, the rest of the team starts falling a little bit. They did a really exceptional job of shutting (Bulloch) down.”

That said, the offense had its fair share of impressive plays. The best one of the match came when senior midfielder Drew Sutherland ripped a fantastic strike from far outside the box, forgoing any and all pleasantries to deposit the ball right into the top left corner of the net for Stratford’s second goal.

It made it 2-0 about 48 minutes to go and, after a slightly stiff first half, seemed to loosen the Eagles up a bit.

“He’s had a couple of those this year where it’s been hitting the post or the keeper has made a great save. I think he was overdue for one,” Jones said. “I’m sure since he’s a senior, in one of his last games on this field, it’s a memorable one that he’s going to remember for a long time.”

The earlier Stratford goal was also a pretty one. It came off the lavender-colored cleat of freshman James Biesterfeld, who was able to take his time setting up the solid shot after a ricochet gave him possession not far from the net about 20 minutes into the contest.

Combined with the two near-misses, one of which made senior Stebin Horne pound the sod with his fist in frustration afterwards, it was a good night for the Stratford offense following a long off stretch. The Eagles also had to overcome some physical defense from the Gators, who did a good job putting pressure on the ball, but Stratford’s speed proved superior as the game wore on.

The Eagles mostly contained Bulloch, though the Gators broke through once with about 15 minutes to play after junior Mixon DeLoach showed nice pace and dribbled past a few defenders. His feed to center the ball was a good one, but Ebube Mbakwe could not quite squeeze it past Stratford keeper Jude Robertson.

The Eagles will play in the semifinals against No. 6 Calvary Christian, who upset No. 3 Fulton Science Academy with a 3-0 win in the second round Friday. The tentative date for the semifinal match is May 24, though the GIAA’s bracket schedule often varies based on school availability.

Regardless of the time and date, the place is set, as Stratford has secured home field advantage for the entire remainder of the tournament. Once the school’s graduation is done Saturday morning, all eyes will return to the pitch.

“We’ll get these boys graduated tomorrow, then we’ll get right back to work on Monday,” Jones said. “Home field helps, for sure, but at this time of year it’s all about who’s prepared and who’s best mentally. The team that’s most mentally prepped will be the team that gets the best results. We just have to take it one game at a time and see what happens.”