BY THOMAS DIMARTINO
EDENTON — On an evening of high wind and wild portent, under a low grey sky and a weight of expectation, the Aces of Edenton (15-5-3, 7-1 Albemarle Athletic Conference) on Monday evening met mighty Manteo, (15-4, 7-1)) the top ranked team in NC 2A, on damp Purser Field, with the conference title on the line.
Mighty, indeed, Manteo entered this final match of the regular season on an eleven-game win streak, including a drubbing of perennial 4A powerhouse First Flight, and an unblemished conference record. The Aces, likewise, took to the field with long strides, with a 10-1 record over the previous eleven matches, marred only by an overtime loss to Manteo at Redskin Field.
Throughout warmups, the Royal and Gold were uncannily quiet and focused. From the first whistle, it was clear that the action would be intense. The Aces had lost the toss, so faced a first half with the blustery wind in their teeth.
Understanding that the midfield would have to be contested, middies Samson Feamster, Elvis Manzo, and Kendall Salinas worked with grim determination, surrendering nothing and pressuring relentlessly. In the third minute, Manzo settled a flighted ball in the middle third, attacked space, executed a 1-2 with Peyton Mattera to slip in behind the midfielders, and then slid a lovely diagonal ball through the defense onto senior Reese Seal’s diagonal run from the right wing. Seal calmly slotted the ball into the side netting at the far post to draw the night’s first blood.
As play resumed, Aces supporters had to wonder whether the lead could hold, as Manteo, moving the ball adroitly, applied steady pressure. But the Royal and Gold shifted together coherently, providing layered defense, absorbing pressure, and denying quality chances. And the Aces built threatening counterattacks off great midfield defense, creating good opportunities on Manteo’s goal.
Then, in the fifty-eighth minute, at thirty yards from Edenton’s goal, Mattera picked up a ball played out of the back, and turned and attacked at high speed. At forty yards from Manteo’s goal, he beat a defender with a step-over. As Redskins converged on him, he slid a lovely diagonal ball wide to a sprinting Manzo on the right wing. Manzo provided a sublime lofted cross to senior Ayden Furlough, patiently maintaining width outside the far post, who drove a header between the uprights and into the back of the net.
For the remainder of the match, play was up and down the pitch. Manteo’s few legitimate chances were denied by Jacob Bond’s nimble work in the goal. In the dying minutes, Manteo scratched out a goal off the foot of Alex Amezquita-Reyes but it was too little and too late. The Royal and Gold held on for their first win against Manteo since 2011 and for a share of the conference title.
From the Editor — Excellent article! You know what this means, right? Yep! Post conference play is to be expected as one of the top seeded teams in the state tourney. As soon as we know where the Aces (15-5-3, 7-1 Albemarle Athletic Conference) are listed on “the grid” and who they will play, we will let you know. Go Aces!
One response to “Aces Defeat Manteo: Conference Championship Showdown”
[…] Whoever wins the that match will face the winner of the Manteo (seeded 1st) v Triangle Math and Science (seeded 8th). So like the storied matchup between Duke and Chapel Hill, we could have an Aces v Redskins’ rivalry matchup in tourney play. Remember, how this looked matchup ended the other week — click the link. […]