With region play now in full swing, the Lowco boys soccer action is starting to heat up. Bluffton stayed perfect with a shootout win over rival Hilton Head High, May River fell to defending SCHSL 4A state champion James Island, and John Paul II started off strong by defeating Beaufort Academy. Here’s a look at some key matches from this week.
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John Paul II at Beaufort Academy
John Paul II boys soccer opened its season with a 5-1 road win over Beaufort Academy on Monday, handing the Eagles their first loss of the season. Jackson Ogden netted a hat trick and Nic Richardson dished out three assists to lead an impressive offensive performance for JPII. Anthony Hill had a goal and an assist, and Austin Floyd added the final tally for the Golden Warriors. Sam Rembold and Peter Torinese paced the defense in front of keeper Evan Slusne, who made seven saves. Gavin Midyette scored the lone goal for Beaufort Academy. BA (3-1, 2-1) hosts Patrick Henry on Monday. JPII (2-0, 1-0) continued its strong start with a 4-2 overtime win at Class 5A Irmo on Friday. Check LowcoSports.com later for a recap of that game.
Hilton Head High at Bluffton
Bluffton boys soccer fought back in the second half and outdueled rival Hilton Head High in a 3-2 penalty shootout after a 1-1 stalemate at home Tuesday. Brayan Murillo buried the equalizer in the second half to force overtime before both sides came up empty in the extra sessions to send the contest to penalty kicks. Murillo, Ricardo Vasquez, and Luis Rojas each scored in the shootout, and goalkeeper Marvin Rodriguez made a clutch save to seal the win.
Bluffton (2-1, 2-0) hosted May River on Friday in a game that was moved to the Bobcats’ turf field due to poor field conditions. HHIHS (0-1, 0-1) traveled to Colleton County on Friday.
Battery Creek at Academic Magnet
Academic Magnet surged to a 6-0 home win over Battery Creek to open Region 8-3A play Tuesday. The Raptors put up five goals in a dominant first half and added another after the intermission. Battery Creek struggled to create chances against a strong Raptor defense, recording just three shots on goal in the contest. Noah Northway shined in goal with a 12-save outing for the Dolphins. BCHS (3-1, 0-1) continues region play at Bishop England on Tuesday.
Royal Live Oaks at Bridges Prep
Bridges Prep dropped a 6-0 decision to Royal Live Oaks in its Region 7-1A opener. Darick Fisher led the Bucs in net with 10 saves. Bridges (1-2, 0-1) hosts Bamberg-Ehrhardt on Tuesday.
May River at James Island
May River couldn’t get its offense clicking against the defending SCHSL 4A state champions Tuesday, falling to James Island on the road 2-0. The Sharks were able to create several chances early, but James Island’s goalkeeper made some clutch stops to keep the match scoreless. The Trojans broke the scoreless tie late in the first half on a goal off a set piece to take a 1-0 halftime lead. May River started to find its offensive rhythm in the second half, but a number of Shark fouls stymied several chances to even up the game. James Island put the game away with 10 minutes to play, scoring off a corner kick for a 2-0 lead before seeing out the victory. The Sharks were back in action at Bluffton on Friday, falling 3-1 to the Bobcats. Check LowcoSports.com later for a recap of that game. MRHS (5-2, 1-2) hosts Wade Hampton for a non-region match Tuesday.
Whale Branch at Charleston Math & Science
Whale Branch couldn’t find the scoresheet against Charleston Math and Science, falling 4-0 on the road to open Region 7-1A play. The Warriors also fell 12-1 to St. John’s at home Thursday. Whale Branch (1-5, 0-2) is at home against Palmetto Scholars in a region matchup Tuesday.
By Wes Kerr
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