AUBURNDALE, Fla. – Mandarin did everything it could to win a soccer state championship.
Everything but score.
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A flukish call of a handball just 52 seconds into the game led to a Mitchell penalty kick and the lone goal in a 1-0 loss in the Class 6A state championship game on Saturday at Lake Myrtle Sports Complex in Auburndale.
The Mustangs finished 19-1-2 and their second state runner-up trophy in program history.
Head coach Jason Cooley said he was proud of how Mandarin responded after the bang-bang sequence could have rattled the Mustangs. But Mandarin was in it until the very end in what was a physical battle from start to finish.
The Mustangs peppered Mitchell throughout the game, with forward Danny Moreno often doubled and fighting through the back line to get looks. But he had three solid shots on goal in the second half, two that went wide and another that Mitchell made an excellent save on.
It was that type of game where every angle was contested and every shot a challenging one. The teams jawed at each other throughout and drew multiple yellow cards in what was a physical clash from open to close.
