On a night dedicated to honoring its seniors, the Emporia High soccer team delivered a flare for the dramatic, rallying from a two-goal halftime deficit to top Pittsburg 4-3 in double overtime Thursday evening.
Senior night looked like it might turn sour early as the Spartans struggled to translate early possession into points. Pittsburg struck first in the opening half, taking an early 1-0 lead. Thiago Esquivel provided a quick spark for Emporia, finding the equalizer to knot the game at 1-1, but the Purple Dragons answered back with two unanswered goals before the break, sending the Spartans into half trailing 3-1.
Despite dominating possession and outshooting Pittsburg throughout the match, EHS found itself battling time and missed chances in the second half.
Enter Brayden Sailer.
With 31 minutes remaining on the clock, Sailer found the back of the net to cut Pittsburg’s lead to one. Then, with just eight minutes left in regulation, Sailer rose above the defense to connect on a clutch header, tying the game 3-3 and sending the match into extra time.
It was an emotional night for Sailer and he was proud he could deliver.
After a scoreless first overtime period, Ricky Ramos provided the final heroics in the second overtime, launching the game-winner into the net to trigger a wild Spartan celebration.
Head coach Victor Ibarra acknowledged postgame that while he wasn’t pleased with the team’s sluggish start, he took blame for it.
The victory marks the second straight double-overtime thriller for the Black and Red, who improve their season record to 9-2.
The Spartans head across state lines on Saturday, to take on Republic (MO) in the MoKan Sports Network Showcase in Riverside, Missouri.
