After finishing 16-7 in the regular season and 5-2 record in Region 4-AAAA, the Midtown boys soccer team’s season was ended by Dalton High School at the GHSA 4A state championship game with a 1-0 loss.
The game opened with a high energy, scoreless first half, setting up for a close game. Late in the second half Dalton scored off of a corner kick with 25 minutes left to play. Sophomore Max Johnson feels that the scoreless first half led to a more intense game.
“The scoreless first half showed how competitive and evenly matched the game was,” Johnson said. “Our defense played very well in the first half and left us in a strong position. At the same time, it made every opportunity in the second half even more important because one goal was all it took to decide the match.”
The second half goal shifted the energy of the game towards Dalton. Senior co-captain Sebastian Velha said the team’s largest struggle was counter-attacking from defense to offense.
“Our biggest challenge is quickly transitioning from defense to offense,” Velha said. “We need to value every attack we have, and be as aggressive as possible in front of goal since our opportunities are limited so it’s important that we score when we have the chance. Our midfield transition into attack is definitely very weak.”
Head coach Josh DiGiovanni explained the attitude this team exudes, saying they have skills beyond high school level.
“What I’ve seen from this group is a calmness that you don’t always get from high school players,” DiGiovanni said. “They’ve trusted each other, trusted the game plan and stayed composed in moments where younger or less experienced teams would have cracked. We’ve been in tight games, we’ve been behind, and they’ve responded by playing their game instead of panicking. That’s a credit to their maturity.”
DiGiovanni explained the process the team has gone through to get to this game. He believes the team’s trust is what has gotten them to this point.
“It’s been a gradual build, not one big moment,” DiGiovanni said. “Early in the season we started strong. By midseason we hit a slump. As we got to the playoffs we stopped forcing things and started trusting the buildup. That patience is what’s gotten us through close playoff games.”
Midtown ended the game scoreless, despite multiple shot attempts by sophomore Max Johnson and senior Zander Grant. Junior Brendan Sheehan was a fan watching the game. Sheenan builds upon Velha and feels that if the team had been able to transition into offense from the midfield, the game could have been different.
“We were playing great defensively,” Sheehan said. “But whenever we stopped them on defense, nothing happened. We would just give the ball away when we got to midfield. So, I think that if we would have been able to improve, this game could have been very different.”
Senior Isaac Marlowe feels that the comeback against Allatoona in the first playoff game set the scene for what could be possible in the rest of the playoffs. Marlowe believes the team has worked hard in the postseason with one of the largest challenges being overcoming a lot of tough competition.
“The game that proved we could make it this far was the Allatoona game,” Marlowe said. “We were trailing by two goals with 20 minutes left. Not a lot of teams have the heart and ability to come back from a deficit like that, especially because it was an away game, but as a team we proved we could come back from really hard losses.”
Sophomore Phoebe Welty, another Midtown fan explains how she noted the energy of the team decreased after Dalton scored their goal. Welty believes that if the team played with the same energy the whole game, they could have come back and won.
“After Dalton scored, the whole team looked defeated,” Welty said. “I know it’s easier said than done but I really wish the energy could have stayed high. I feel like if the whole team stayed positive even after we were down, the game could have been turned around. But, it felt a little negative and we weren’t able to come back.”
Johnson feels that if the team had been able to capitalize on chances at the start of the game the outcome could have been different.
“One moment that could have changed the game in our favor was a scoring opportunity we had within the first 5–10 minutes,” Johnson said. “If we had converted that chance, it could have shifted the momentum early and set the tone for the rest of the game while giving us a major advantage.”
In preparation for the game, the team watched a lot of film and scouted the opposing team. Marlowe explained that practices before the game were dedicated to scouting and prepping for Dalton’s key players.
“In practice we went over tactics and players to keep our eye on during the game,” Marlowe said. “Our strengths were important to attack their weaknesses and that is what keeps us in the games.”
In all, assistant coach David Mimmnauh believes that even though they didn’t win the state championship the team creates memories and bonds that last a lifetime, and that they never forget this game.
“We constantly talk about our routine,” Mimmnauh said. “Showing up and giving 100% is most important. Not only in this game but in life. Hard work and persistence pays off, our program wants results obviously but we are also preparing these young men to operate in the world outside of the classroom and soccer field.”
