Putnam County soccer recently wrapped up its regular season with a 10-0 non-region win over Greene County.
The War Eagles (13-1) enter the Class AA state playoffs on a 13-game winning streak. They also won the Region 4-AA title and are the No. 1 seed entering the postseason. They’ll face No. 4 Cook this Friday at home.
Putnam County head coach Michael Taylor acknowledged the team’s accomplishments are impressive so far, but said a new season starts on Friday.
“We’re glad the regular season is over and are now looking forward to the playoffs,” Taylor said. “I’m also looking forward to playing a little bit more quality teams so I can see how good our team really is. I want to watch us face those quality teams, see how (our players) respond, and if they step up and play their best. I am excited.”
Putnam County split with Georgia Military College Prep and Lake Oconee Academy, two of Class A Division II’s best teams. The War Eagles haven’t played quality competition since those two matches, though.
Cook (8-10) has an uneven record but is on a four-game winning streak entering the postseason. The Hornets went from sixth place to finish fourth, qualifying them for the Class AA state playoffs to end the year.
Cook is led by three players – junior Alan Garcia, sophomore Fernando Fernandez, and senior Josef Rivera – who have combined for 41 of the Hornets’ 56 goals this season. They’ve combined for 28 assists as well.
“Coming back from spring break, we needed a game like Greene County to prepare us for the playoffs,” Taylor said. “It was a tune-up game, but now we’re focusing on what is ahead. Cook will a good test for us.”
Putnam County matches up well with the Hornets, with only a few players combining for most of the team’s goals. However, junior Emmanuel Meraz, the War Eagles’ leading scorer, has proved to be a spark for the offense.
Seniors Bryan Canales, Christian Hernandez, and sophomore Angel Sanchez have been solid for Putnam County, too, and the War Eagles have a freshman goalkeeper in Alexander Jimenez who has also been consistent in the box.
Putnam County will need those guys to play their best to move on to the next round. Taylor’s message to them is to stay connected and pass the ball to the open man who has a clean shot.
“We’ve definitely got to have teamwork. Being unselfish and willing to pass the ball to the open players and work together,” Taylor said. “They’ve got to be able to talk out there on the pitch and let everyone know where they are and what they’re thinking. We need to all be on the same page.”
The winner of the Putnam County and Cook match will face either No. 2 seed Pierce County or No. 3 Jordan. The War Eagles and Hornets match starts at 5 p.m. Friday at Al Reaves Field in Eatonton.