With 20 seconds left on the clock and Paint Branch clinging to a 2-1 lead, the players held their breath for the final free kick of the night by Springbrook. As the Springbrook player readied himself for  his first goal of the night and the Springbrook players cheered him on, the Panther sideline stood in silence.

Unfortunately for the Blue Devils, the player overshot the net badly and the Paint Branch bench and fans roared with triumph.

The game wasn’t a total loss for Springbrook Wednesday night, though, as they played a strong game and were just one kick away from at least a tie. The Blue Devils’ goal came from Jacob Kane just after the second half began and trimmed a two-goal Panther lead to one, and set the stage for the late game drama.

During the first half, Kemonie Jordan from Paint Branch scored, which increased the moral of the team. The rest of the first half was a very tense back and forth between Paint Branch and Springbrook. The uncertainty made the players on both teams very on edge.

“The game was tense,” said Paint Branch junior Bochanra, a leading player for the Panthers who has consistently shown strong play in matches when he has been healthy and able to be on the field, “It’s scary and frightening knowing that the atmosphere of the game changes with who’s winning, which can decide matches, added Bochanra. “The team’s morale depends on who is winning by the first half.”

Despite admitting that teams are affected by the score, Bochanra denied the score having any influence on him at all. “In the end, it’s all about having fun! I don’t care whether I win or lose, as long as I know I tried my best, even if that means being on the bench sometimes letting other players who are pumped up get a turn to play by the second half.”

Other players for Paint Branch had a different view on the atmosphere of the game. “Springbrook just can’t beat us, especially tonight,” boasted junior Varen Gupta. “What I saw sitting on the bench was a dominating Paint Branch team and a lot of talk from Springbrook.”  

Gupta, despite having described what it was like on the bench, played on the field the whole game for the Panthers.

In the second half, Bradley Muma from Paint Branch scored which put the score 2-0 for PB. This held up until close to the end of the game when Springbrook, on the verge of defeat, hammered home a goal to cut the lead in half. Kane’s score put the pressure on PB, but, in the end, the Panthers handled it and the Blue Devils did not.

This game inspired many players to sign up for Varsity next year because of the excitement soccer brings so many players, Paint Branch having scored their 2nd goal by the second half showed how hard working the team is, even those who don’t play. Paint Branch was a challenge tonight, and it was clear by the score, Paint Branch was simply a challenge that could not be beat.