Boys soccer first-round playoffs: Set plays spark Bolles, Yulee ousts Stanton
For longtime Bolles coach Jim Lieb, Tuesday's playoff opener might as well have been a set play clinic.
"The guys were on tonight," Lieb said. "We were able to get the good service in, and then we were able to get to the ball first, and that makes all the difference."
Bolles converted set plays to goals early and often, led by a Jackson Geist hat trick to down Wolfson 5-0 in Tuesday night's Florida High School Athletic Association boys soccer first-round Region 1-3A playoff at Skinner-Barco Stadium.
Three dead-ball deliveries from Finn McEnany turned into three goals for the Bulldogs (11-5-2). Geist put away a 14th-minute header from close range, set up by McEnany's right-wing free kick headed back across the box by Will Morales, and he added two more as Bolles pulled away.
Morales and Ayden Ashchi scored off corner kicks from McEnany and Adam MacGregor as the Bulldogs completed the season sweep of Wolfson (7-10-4).
Bolles advances to a Friday regional semifinal against Florida High, which eliminated Episcopal 5-4 on penalty kicks Wednesday after regulation and extra time finished 2-2. The Eagles end the year at 9-4-3.
Providence (9-7-3) exited the postseason in a 4-0 loss to No. 1 seed Tallahassee Maclay (17-1-2) in the capital. Jack Daunt scored twice, with Luke Daunt and Zac Scovotto also on the board.
Girls soccer playoffs: Bishop Kenny rolls, Stanton, St. Johns among winners
REGION 1-4A
Joe Walsh scored twice and Xander Stokes struck at the end as defending regional champion Yulee surged from behind, scoring three goals after the second-half water break to eliminate host Stanton (12-6-1). Dhruv Garud had fired Stanton into a first-half lead.
The Hornets (11-4-1), who qualified for their first-ever final four trip last year, play at home Friday against South Walton after the Panhandle team knocked off Alachua Santa Fe.
Bishop Kenny also got a pair of late goals from Carson Cope and Shawn Selfors to win 2-0 against West Florida (8-11-2). The Crusaders (10-7-3) advance to a Friday night home game against Wakulla, which stunned No. 1 seed Panama City Bay.
REGION 1-2A
St. Joseph (7-8-1) moved on with a 2-0 victory against Harvest Community on goals by Owen Camp and Kyle Jackson. The Warriors close the year at 4-4. The Flashes are now the highest remaining seed in the region, after Community Christian knocked out No. 1 seed Gainesville Oak Hall 1-0.
Next up for the Flashes is an all-Northeast Florida contest against Christ's Church. The Eagles (10-8-1) won a wild 5-4 matchup against St. Johns Country Day (6-8-1).
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville high school boys soccer first-round playoff results
