MURFREESBORO – Missing one of the state’s top players definitely showed early for the Grace Christian Academy boys soccer team. And again just 11 minutes into the second half as Boyd Buchanan staked a 2-0 lead over GCA in the Division II-A state soccer semifinals at the Richard Siegel Soccer Complex.
The Lions remained poised and kept clawing away despite missing top scorer and leader Malachi Jones, who broke a bone in his foot in the state quarterfinals. Five minutes after Boyd Buchanan’s second tally, senior Sam Barrionuevo breathed life into GCA with a set piece just outside the box. After a relentless attack over the next 20 minutes, Levi Jones – Malachi’s brother – drilled the equalizer on a header.
In the second 10-minute overtime period, Barrionuevo struck again as GCA secured a spot back in the state championship by rallying for a 3-2 win.
“I just feel like everyone counted us out today,” said Barrionuevo, who netted the game-winner in the 97th minute. “But we’re not just one player and nobody realized that there’s 26 other guys willing to put their hearts on the line for what matters, which is God and that game out there.”
Barrionuevo said he was “just playing in the moment” when he found the back of the net from the left side and sent the heavy GCA contingent into a frenzy in the light drizzle. The play came 61 seconds after Boyd Buchanan was issued a red card – the only red, but one eight cards issued in the physical contest.
“We knew if we just kept pushing, it’d all come together at the end,” Barrionuevo said. “This is the best feeling.”
GCA keeper Kytn Wolf gave up two goals to Ben Hauke on a corner kick in the 3rd and a penalty kick in the 51st, but grabbed and swatted away several big chances. He made five saves.
In the final minute, it was Alex Johnson who stepped in front of a point-blank shot in a crowd after Wolf was up-ended leaping for a save. The loose ball was gathered and fired right into Johnson’s chest before Wolf covered up – the last threat from Boyd Buchanan.
“I guess I was just in the right place at the right time,” said the senior, who also helped GCA keep possession most of the second half and teamed up with Levi Jones for 12 shots. “Huge props to our guys for adjusting so quickly. I mean Malachi is a fantastic player, but we showed we are more than just one player and we were able to possess the ball like we’ve always done.
“We knew we were all in this together. This feels good.”
Johnson fed Jones for the equalizer in the 73rd.
He shared an embrace with his brother Malachi on the sidelines entering overtime. Levi said he told his brother the entire team was fighting for him. Malachi was one of the biggest cheerleaders bouncing along the sidelines on crutches.
“We weren’t just going to sit back and let this go,” Levi Jones said. “We were going to fight to the end for him. God has a plan and we’re just here to see that through.”
GCA coach David DeFatta said his team found out about the severity of Malachi’s injury Monday. The Lions leading scorer has 45 goals and 16 assists and the Lions had to adjust quickly.
“We didn’t have a lot of time to switch things up, so we just tried to focus on building the confidence of the rest of the guys,” DeFatta said. “We showed time of possession, how we strung passes together in previous matches and how we could always play the type of soccer we want to play.”
DeFatta said his team overcame the “shell shock” of falling behind early and battled, but it was after Boyd Buchanan converted on the penalty kick for the 2-0 lead when the coach was most proud.
“We didn’t have our main threat. This game’s over. These guys could have fallen into that thinking,” he said. “But, I could see it in their eyes. They weren’t done.”
With Johnson, Barrionuevo and Jones leading the attack, seniors like Joshua Hilner and others stepped into bigger roles and righted the GCA ship and steered the Lions back into a state title match.
“After missing last season, this is the best way to end your high school career,” Barrionuevo said. “We all want to continue to leave our mark on GCA.”
The Lions DII-A Middle Region rivals Christ Presbyterian Academy fell in the other semifinal 5-3 against Knoxville Webb. A trio of Spartan goals in the first four minutes of the second half blew the match open despite two second-half goals from Jayce Harvey, who closed with a hat trick.
GCA (20-1-1) and Knox-Webb (19-0) will play at 6:30 for the state championship at the Richard Siegel Soccer Complex main stadium. The Spartans are playing in their first final since 2016. GCA won the Class A championship in 2019 – the school’s first title.