By Thomas Sellers Jr.
The Millington Trojan Soccer team has been on a historic march all season.
Last Thursday evening at Hornet Field the Trojans had a chance to add another footnote to a special season. In the way was familiar District 15-2A foe the Haywood Tomcats. Winners of the regular-season title, Millington captured the district tournament title in a thriller of Haywood.
The Tomcats earned the right for a rematch against the Trojans beating Craigmont in the Regional Semifinals. Haywood appeared ready to stop Millington from winning its first Regional title in soccer heading into halftime tied 0-0. Then the Trojans blitz Haywood with five goals to prevail 5-0 and win the championship.
“The first half we tried something different just to give them a different look because this was the third time we were playing them,” Millington Coach William Carter said. “In the second half, when we felt we had them efficiently tired we went back to playing what we like to play and I think they were tired enough. The passing lanes were there and our captains did a good enough job directing traffic. Luis and others did a good job back there.”
Just two minutes into the second half Mauricio Luna broke the scoreless tied with a goal. After a Millington goal was taken off the scoreboard because of interference, Trojan captain Colby Goode made the Haywood deficit 2-0 with a score.
Minutes later the “Blue Streak” Timmy Aderinoye blazed through the Haywood defense for a point and made the tally 3-0.
After Goode achieved his second goal to make the score 4-0, Chase Michael closed out the scoring with a goal.
The Trojans were able to make history despite lineup changes. Senior Gaspar Rodriguez was missing on the defensive line preparing to serve our country.
“I got one in Basic Training right now,” Carter noted. “Gaspar is in Fort Benning right now. I’ve other guys with military comments, Milton (Yarbrough) had surgery today. We’ve go changes all over the place but we’re making it work.”
Carter and Coach Rosemary Boswell employed 2021 MCHS Valedictorian Luis Carrillo Reyes into the starting lineup. With several key possessions and assisting goalie Gabe Malone, Millington held Haywood scoreless.
The 2021 Millington Trojan Soccer team led by coaches William Carter and Rosemary Boswell members are Johnathan Temple-Dowdy, McCoy Pugh, Noel Rostro, Chase Michael, Porter White, Dylan Chapman, Sergio Chagala, Josue Torres, Maurico Luna, Fernando Hernandez, Cole Michael, Aaron Blankenship, Gaspar Rodriguez, Luis Carrillo, Leo Flores, Eli Roberts, MIlton Yarbrough, Kenji White, Timmy Aderinoye, Andres Garcia, Gabe Malone and Colby Goode.
The Tomcats will travel Saturday for Sub-State. Meanwhile the Trojans have earned the school’s first home Sectional soccer game.
“They’re really mentally tough,” Carter said. “We’ve got a lot of seniors. That’s the good and bad about having a lot of seniors. You’re going to lose a whole bunch at the end of the year but they’ve played enough soccer out here that they know what to do out here on the field.
“They persevered through the first half today and they just broke it wide open in the second half,” he concluded.
On Saturday the Trojans welcomed the South Gibson Hornets to Hornet Field. This was the first Sectional soccer game in Flag City history.
The afternoon on Hornet Field belonged to the Hornets outlasting Millington 2-1 to advance to this week’s Class 2A State Tournament in Murfreesboro.
