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Elation and despair mix within the boundaries of a 120 x 70-yard box. On one end, players fall flat on their backs in disbelief while the sounds of unexpected joy overflow on the other end.
The ‘beautiful game’ is filled with highs and lows, much like life itself. It was no different in a second-round playoff matchup between perhaps two of the most heated rivals in Louisiana high school athletics.
The E.D. White Cardinals defeated the Vandebilt Catholic Terriers 2-1 in a second-round LHSAA soccer playoff match on Wednesday, February 5 at Harvey Peltier Stadium in Thibodaux.
A 12th-minute goal, scored by Vandebilt striker Connor Hebert, gave the Terriers a 1-0 advantage in the early moments.
The lead lasted Vandebilt until stoppage time at the end of regulation, but a Carter Douglas goal in the final minute ended the Terriers’ hope of a regulation victory and tied the rivals going into extra time.
“I’m glad I found that boost of energy to make the [goal] and I think it gave the team the boost of energy we need to go into overtime and that carried us to a win,” Douglas said.
Yet again a hard-fought period of play, now extra time, ended in a last-gasp score for the Cardinals. Defensive midfielder Jacques Holloway’s score in the final minute of extra time sent the Cardinals to the quarterfinals of the LHSAA state championship tournament.
Once the referee blew his whistle to signify the match’s end the Cardinals stormed the field while the Terriers stood still, stunned by the final result.
E.D. White Boy’s soccer Head Coach Nicholas Duet and his team basked in the glory of the win, yet Duet mentioned how sobering it was to see their rivals so disappointed as many of their careers ended. He added that his seniors could have experienced that very same fate.
One of our conversations was, ‘this is it or nothing’ and I said to the seniors, it’s one game at a time and this could be your last,” Duet said. “It’s definitely a sobering feeling and a lot of the time you don’t realize it until it’s done.”
On the other side of the field, Hebert said in no uncertain terms that the loss, especially to the Terriers’ rival, took a part of him.
“Losing this big game, it just sucks, especially when you’ve been playing a sport for so long it becomes a part of you,” Hebert said. “Now for most of the seniors, it’s over and you’re off to college.”
Hebert added that despite the loss it’s a story he will be telling for the rest of his life.
