Hardwork, passion, and fight is what it took for the East Carter Raiders to win the 16th region soccer championship. The Raiders beat Rowan County 1-0 to advance to the state tournament. Their lone goal came from senior Reece Bush early in the second half.
“Scoring the only goal was an awesome feeling but we knew we had to stay strong mentally and physically to finish out the rest of the game.” said Bush.
The Raiders did just that as junior goalkeeper Micah Brown added his 18th shutout of the season making him the #1 goalie in the state for shutouts. Brown and the Raiders defense held the Vikings all throughout the game keeping them out of the back of the net.
“We just didn’t want that to be the last game and everyone had us ranked 4th in the region so we had to show them who was number 1,” said Micah Brown when asked how they came back into halftime
The team came back into the second half stronger than before scoring the only goal of the game within the first 10 minutes. The Raiders held onto this lead despite attempts from the Vikings giving them a trip to the state tournament which they have been preparing for all season.
“We prepare by going at it, game by game, day by day. Keeping our mental and physical health up to the East Carter standard. This class has set the standard for the rest of the classes, and I know Coach Grady, Levi, and Bob will require this standard for the rest of East Carter in the next decade,” senior Braxton Carroll.
The Raiders play Johnson Central, Tuesday the 27th at 7pm in the first round of the state tournament. This makes the Raiders 5th time going to the state tournament in the past 11 seasons and they’re looking to make more history this time.
“The culture of East Carter soccer was great when I took over and we have built onto that. We want to win, we want to get better everyday. Practice and play every game like it is your last. I am proud to be a part of this program.” Coach Grady Garrison
Raiders Claim 16th Region Championship, Punch Ticket to State Tournament
