Putnam County soccer’s quest for a state championship ended in the second round of the state playoffs.
Last Friday, Pierce County topped the War Eagles 2-1 at Al Reaves Stadium in Eatonton to advance.
Putnam County boys’ soccer head coach Michael Taylor was proud of his team’s effort, regardless of the final score.
“It was definitely a hard way to go out. We wanted to get to the next round,” Taylor said. “We had the team do it. And we played hard, but unfortunately, we didn’t pull it off. We fought until the end, though.”
Pierce County netted two goals in the first half, taking a solid lead into the locker room at the break.
Putnam County fought back with leading scorer Emmanuel Meraz, who scored a goal to cut the lead in half. The junior stuck it through the back of the net and scored when the goalie was out of position. However, the Bears’ defense locked down and didn’t give up another score to secure the win.
“It was a good match, but we had a great season,” Taylor added. “We have a lot to look forward to.”
The War Eagles ended their 2024 campaign with a 14-2 overall record and a perfect mark in the region. They also won a second straight region championship in Taylor’s second year as head coach.
Putnam County will lose seven seniors in the offseason, including Bryan Canales and Collin Garafolo. Both have been influential in leading the program over the past few years.
Other seniors, Walfrey Sanchez, Christian Hernandez, Brangel Felix, David Cruz, and Uri Jaimes, will also be missed. These seven seniors had one of the most successful runs in program history.
“Our seniors will be greatly missed, but we’ve got a strong core returning. We were young this year,” Taylor said. “We’ll miss their leadership, but going into next year, others will have to step up.”
According to Taylor, the future of the Putnam County boys’ soccer program “is bright.”
The second-year coach will use this season’s success and try to build off next year. Taylor wants to win another region championship, return to the postseason, and make another deep playoff run.
“I think we’ll be equipped to make an even further run next year,” Taylor said. “I’m excited. We have a lot to look forward to with our leading scorer and most of our defenders returning next year.”