SPRING — In about as dramatic fashion as it can get, the Grand Oaks Grizzlies are heading to the playoffs for the first time in program history.
Connor Harper, a senior defender, scored the gamewinning goal with 10 seconds on the clock to beat rival Oak Ridge — also a first time in program history — 2-1 Friday night in District 13-6A.
Grand Oaks (10-9-1, 4-6, 12 points) needed a win or a tie to advance to the playoffs while Oak Ridge (5-11-1, 2-8, 6 points) needed the win to advance to the postseason for the second straight year.
With the game tied 1-1, Oak Ridge’s goalkeeper came way out to center of the field as the War Eagles had the ball in the offensive third.
Grand Oaks cleared the ball and junior Ramiere Johnson carried it up the field. With time ticking, the ball made it to the opposite side of the field where Harper made his move and scored into the open net.
“I didn’t know the time,” Harper said afterwards as he clutched the ‘Battle of the Oaks’ trophy. “I was waiting and making sure it went in. I was trying to get up because we both collided at the end. I looked up and saw the ball went in first and then I looked and there was 10 seconds on the clock and the crowd went crazy. It was probably one of my most memorable moments.”
Grand Oaks coach Shane Ulbricht had a front row spot on the sideline on the big moment.
“It was just chaos,” Ulbricht said. “(Oak Ridge) just needed to get back in it. A tie wasn’t good enough for them. They had to come get some, a tie wasn’t enough. They were taking every opportunity they could to win the game.”
Harper, a captain at center back, saw the play develop and just went for it.
“I saw the opportunity,” Harper said. “The keeper was probably out at the 40. I saw our forward Rami and he started making the run. No one else was, so the opportunity presented itself, so I sprinted as fast I could. Luckily, I was able to dive and get a foot on there before the keeper did and it went in.”
The Grizzlies trailed 1-0 against Oak Ridge at halftime. Grand Oaks previously lost to the War Eagles 1-0 on Feb. 18 and were 0-5 all-time against them. In last year’s final game of the season, the Grizzlies lost to Oak Ridge, failing to earn that elusive playoff bid.
Harper is one of the pillars of the program which is just in its fourth year of existence and has been working towards this position.
“That was such an important goal for him as a leader of this program,” Ulbricht said. “He’s been captain three years now and in a couple opportunities last year where he was the fifth PK taker and those points would have ultimately got us where we wanted to be. But ultimately we are here now and it’s fitting that he’s the one that sealed the deal.”
After trailing at halftime, Grand Oaks knotted things up quickly in the second half.
Just four minutes in, Emilio Bur received a cross at the far side of the goal and put it home to make it a 1-1 game.
That came after a first-forty minutes of many missed opportunities.
Grand Oaks kept pounding away at the Oak Ridge net in the first half.
But it was the War Eagles that came away with the lone goal right before halftime.
With Grand Oaks outshooting Oak Ridge 7-2 in 39th minute, Allan Jaimes threaded a nice pass to Erick Evaristo, who finished to the right of Rey Adams and into the net.
The Grizzlies had plenty of opportunities with five shots saved by Oak Ridge goalkeeper Adrian Cruz and two other shots hitting the crossbar and the post, respectively.
Johnson had two shots on net and another hit the post as he kept constant pressure on the Oak Ridge back line.
Max Magsingit, Connor Harper, Sean Harper and Mario Botano each had big opportunities that didn’t result in goals in the first half.
“When you’re not clinical and you have as many chances as we did without that payoff, you just knew if (Oak Ridge) came up the field and were clinical and had a chance, that it was going to be a game,” Ulbricht said. “When they came and scored, I knew we were going to be in a battle for the second half.”
Grand Oaks will face Aldine in the first round of the Region II-6A playoffs late next week.
For Ulbricht, it was a bittersweet moment in a sense that he was an assistant coach at Oak Ridge prior to coming to Grand Oaks three years ago. He coached some of the seniors on the current team.
But the work his current team has put in came to fruition Friday and he couldn’t have been more proud.
“Just proud,” Ulbricht said. “For many of these boys – these seniors they started this program. I feel bad that we couldn’t give this to seniors who graduated last year. All six of them. This group of seniors, they have tore it up in this program. They laid the groundwork here. I’m proud to see it pay off.”
Harper has basically been around since day one.
“It’s great,” Harper said. “I have a young brother Sean, he’s a freshman and he’s been on varsity this yer. It’s been a memorable experience either way with him. Now it’s even better having played over the past four years when the school first opened and with the other seniors. It’s been great.”
rtate@hcnonline.com
