1999 - SV loses in the quarters to eventual state champ Summerville
Spring Valley was the better team with the time of possession and controlled passing. They have a very talented midfield. James Island never seemed to get into a rythem of possession, never stringing more then 3 or 4 passes together. Credit the James Island keeper and defense to keeping themselves in the game. They were very good defenders able to clear most all the time.
The goal came in middle of the second half. One of the forwards had possesion along the side line with the second forward making a run in the middle of the field but a bit delayed behind the play. The rest of the players were well off the play as it was something of a fast break / counter attack. I do not remember if it was a JI defender or the SV forward who played the ball in the box but it was something of a slow roller toward a the keeper ( like I said, donno if it was a ball passed to the keeper or a miss cued cross ) but the sweeper/mid defender playing onto the passed ball stopped as to seeing his keeper charge the ball unaware of the SV player which left that delayed streeking SV forward to run onto the ball, barely beating the keeper to the ball and one touching it with a cheeky flick over the keeper in the far side neating. A very beautiful goal, especially from the angle the flick was taken.
An equalizer almost occured with about 15 min left in the game when a free kick taken from just over mid field, lobbed the ball into the box and some 5 players collided with the keeper. The referee called the foul before the dropped ball from the keeper was put in the back of the net.
From about that point on things began to turn ugly as petty fouls turned to flagrant fouls and intentional physical play insued. Frustration and irritation seemed to set into alot of the JI players.
Both teams had a header in the last 20 min that should have been scored but rather the SV header went wide and the JI header with straight to the keeper.
It is true as a SV alumni, we are doomed to wonder the playoffs year after year never to make it past the round of 16 or quarter finals, but this year, since we play a Ridge View that we have beaten twice this season, we stand with a good chance to make it to the Lower State Championship.
Plus, now that the region that consist of Irmo, Ridge View, Dutch Fork, and Spring Valley is the toughest region and makes for the toughest schedules for the seasons, there isn't much better that they haven't already seen. So we shall see. I wish them the best of luck!
