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Cooke's Goal Helps Eagles Upset Osbourn, 2-1, in OT
Liberty High boys soccer forward Shane Cooke jogged to the sideline, stood on a bench and raised his arms to the crowd.
It was a routine reminiscent of the Boston Celtic players when they won the NBA title last year.
Liberty had not exactly won the World Cup, but they had shocked Osbourn, 2-1, in overtime under the Friday night lights of Kip Hull Field, and Cooke’s sharply-angled goal had been the game-winner.
“That was high intensity. It was the best high school game I ever played in,” said Liberty goalie Blake Weiss.
Beating an Osbourn team ranked No. 9 in The Washington Post rankings was a milestone for an unheralded Liberty squad that won just once last year, and has now tripled its 2008 win total.
While Osbourn knocked the ball around with considerable sophistication and created the more dangerous chances, Liberty 's defense held together, thanks in large part to Weiss and excellent teamwork from the defenders and midfielders.
Trailing 1-0 at halftime, Liberty (3-1) gradually began to frustrate the high-powered Osbourn attack with rugged defense and a refusal to quit.
Liberty tied it with 12:33 left on a quick assault up the left side. Jorden Paz received the ball after a re-start, raced around the left, and centered the ball to a wide-open Matt Judd, who rammed it home.
The LHS goal motivated Osbourn, which regrouped behind quick, clever midfielder Travis Pittman, and put extreme pressure on the LHS defense. While the visitors started buzzing around the LHS box with regularity, again Weiss and his defense held firm through some scary moments...
See the Wednesday print edition of the Fauquier Times-Democrat for the complete story.
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