May 3 — For the last time, Tuscola and Pisgah took the field against each other this school year. On this occasion, it was the Tuscola football team that achieved a 3-1 victory over their rival from Canton.
“It was a game of effort,” Tuscola coach Ray Sugg said. “It was a brave game. When we face them next year, perhaps we will arrive more confident, but I will take the victory.”
Although the Mounties won all 10 games between 2014 and 2019, Tuscola had not won a series game since then prior to this year’s series. Pisgah won twice in 2022 and the teams tied both games last year.
Although the 3-1 score seemed like a heavy victory for Tuscola, the game was much closer throughout the 80 minutes.
“I know some girls are disappointed because we didn’t play as well as we did in the last four or five games. I knew it would be like this because this is Pisgah’s game. that makes their season. It didn’t help that we didn’t put things away in the first half,” Sugg said. “I give them credit. They played hard. They gave us a run.”
Pisgah coach Luis Garcia said his team will continue to work hard.
“Today is for them. Tomorrow is for us,” said Garcia. “I’m proud of the players. We’re still working to wake up the Bear.”
Early on, both teams had chances to score. Pisgah had a chance to take the lead early, but Julia Wells made a diving deflection to stop the shot.
Ten minutes after Wells’ save, Tuscola freshman Haven Roth had a scoring chance in front of the net and took full advantage, scoring his first career goal for the Mounties to put the visitors into the lead.
Eleven minutes after the goal, it looked like Tuscola might have made it 2-0, but the goal was disallowed due to contact with Pisgah sophomore goalkeeper Holly Henderson.
Despite missing two late goals, Henderson had a fantastic game – racking up 12 saves throughout the match.
“Their goalie made some really good saves where we thought we would beat her,” Sugg said.
Coming out to start the second half, Pisgah played with some fury and put pressure on their rival.
“We had a little hit in the back,” Sugg said. “We made some stupid fouls and gave them some opportunities.”
Midway through the second half, Pisgah was awarded a free kick about 40 yards from the goal. Junior Kenna Lawing lined up on the ball, getting the shot into the frame.
The ball bounced in front of the net and went in.
“She did a great job. She’s really upset with herself for letting this happen,” Sugg said of her guardian, freshman Julia Wells. “The sun is a factor. Normally, she understands that.”
The goal drew applause from the stands and on the sidelines.
“We were happy,” Garcia said. “We were looking for more. It was exciting.”
Lawing was a force for the Bears all night, scoring the only goal and stopping numerous Tuscola scoring chances throughout the night.
After the goal, a change was called for the Mounted Police. Oftentimes, a team plays with a sense of dismay after conceding a goal, but for Tuscola it was the opposite.
“It’s a rivalry game,” he said. “I told them at half-time, ‘We’re up 1-0. We need to make it 3-0 to feel comfortable, because the longer they’re at it, the harder they’re going to play.’ And the minute they scored the goal, I think they realized, ‘Oh, shit, we better start playing now.’
Seven minutes after the tie, junior Gracie Rinker shot Henderson’s shot into the back of the net, breaking the tie with what Sugg called a “beautiful winning goal.”
With two minutes left in the game, Tuscola put the dagger in the Bears, with another freshman finding the net. This time it was Emma Clancy, who managed a one-on-one escape against the keeper. His initial shot was saved but Clancy pounced on the rebound to extend the lead to 3-1.
As with many rivalry games, tensions were high and both teams played physically. The physicality meant that each team received yellow cards at different points in the match.
“I’m going to replace it very quickly when I see that happening,” Sugg said. “Sometimes they tend to turn it into a personal fight with the player who pressured them, but this is not a personal game. It’s 11 players.”
Now, both teams look ahead to the final week of the season.
Pisgah, which is currently 0-16, will have three chances to win to close out the season. The Bears host East Henderson on Friday night before visiting the Eagles on Monday.
“We’re going to play the same way we played today,” Garcia said. “Let’s play with everything and see if we can get something. With luck, the Bear will wake up.”
Then, Pisgah will close out the year with its senior night game against North Henderson on Wednesday.
Tuscola will host Smoky Mountain on Monday for its senior night contest. The Mounties wrap up their regular season on Wednesday with a trip to play West Henderson.
“I only have three seniors,” Sugg said of Monday’s game. “I would love it if a senior could score a goal. That would cheer us up.”
