The North Atlanta Varsity boys soccer team made many statements throughout the high school soccer world in the past few weeks. The Dubs recently earned silverware early on in the season with a victory in the Johns Creek Invitational Cup. The Warriors took down last year’s 7A state runner-up, Campbell, in the first game before finishing off Walton in a penalty shootout to claim the tournament championship.
The opening match against Campbell set the tone for the weekend, as North Atlanta proved they could still compete with one of the state’s top teams, after losing crucial graduating players in the starting lineup. Despite going down early, the Warriors responded, finding their breakthrough with senior Lathan Johnson scoring the first goal to tie the game 1-1. Campbell continued to press and quickly went back 2-1 on a long throw into North Atlanta’s defending box. The warriors refused to back down. Johnson continued to impact the match, assisting senior striker Max Rode to bring the score to 2-2. With momentum shifting in their favor, North Atlanta continued to knock on the door, and it Was Rode who delivered once again, slotting home the go-ahead goal and his second of the match to put the Dubs in the lead for the first time. The Warriors then shifted into a defensive stance to hold off against the Campbell Spartans in the final minutes to secure a hard-fought 3-2 victory over a championship-caliber opponent. Varsity coach, Epi Jimenez did not doubt that the boys would continue to fight in the game and ultimately come on top with a win. “I knew our guys wouldn’t back down. We’ve got a resilient and older team with a lot of experience and composure under pressure, so I trust them,” said Jimenez.
The championship match against Walton was another intense battle, but this time, North Atlanta struck first. The Warriors took the lead when Sebastian Montag found the back of the net on a corner kick header to make it 1-0 early in the first half. Walton responded towards the end of the first half, sending the teams into the break tied at 1-1. In the second half, The Walton Raiders came with another level of intensity leading to their first lead of the game. North Atlanta refused to be discouraged and in the dying minutes, they tied the game at 2-2 with a well-placed finish by Lathan Johnson, assisted by junior Miles Glover pushing the game to a penalty shootout. With the tournament on the line, the Dubs were at an advantage as they had already had experience in a penalty shootout this season. Senior Goalkeeper, Brian Feagin stepped up in the biggest moment. The North shot-stopper made two crucial saves in the shootout, shutting down Walton’s hopes and securing the victory for the Dubs. Senior Captain Servando Moreno did not doubt that the team would come on top after keeping calm heads through adversity. “We stayed true to who we were the whole game so I was very confident in the people who stepped up to take pens, and especially Brian in goal who has come in clutch for us many times before,” said Moreno.
With a strong start to the season and a trophy already in hand, North Atlanta has shown they are a force to be reckoned with. The Warriors will look to build on this momentum as they continue their campaign to a state championship.
