FLEMING ISLAND, FL – A controversial handball call proved pivotal as the Fleming Island High School boys soccer team saw its season end in a 3-2 defeat to Gulf Breeze High School in the Region 1-5A quarterfinal on . The match, played at Randy Warren Memorial Stadium, marked the end of a successful season for the Golden Eagles, who finished with a record of 10-4-3 and were the sole regional qualifier from Clay County.
Gulf Breeze striker Jonas Noury scored twice, including the decisive goal with remaining in the second half. The game-winner came after a contested sequence where Fleming Island’s Josh Gosselin sent a shot just wide of the goal. A subsequent punt from Gulf Breeze goalkeeper Samuel Thomas led to a scramble in the box, ultimately resulting in Noury’s spinning drive past Fleming Island’s Carson Snyder.
Fleming Island head coach Roger Dailey expressed his frustration with the penalty kick awarded to Gulf Breeze, which tied the game at 1-1. “I think I saw the same thing everybody saw,” Dailey said. “The ball was on Digman’s chest. When he came up he had a red ribbon, like a cherry, on his chest. Plus, the way I understand the rule is, the hand ball has to be an advantage. When we are clearing the ball out of the box, there is no advantage [when the ball is blocked from leaving the box], so I was stunned that that was called.”
The Golden Eagles had taken an early lead just five minutes into the match when Jonathan Figueroa’s throw-in found Jackson Morgan, who assisted Brooks Viner for a right-footed goal past Thomas. Gulf Breeze quickly responded with a goal from Matthew Beam off a corner kick, tying the score at one apiece.
Before halftime, Fleming Island found themselves trailing 2-1 after a corner kick from Viner was headed off the crossbar by Janda, allowing Gulf Breeze to capitalize. The second half saw Fleming Island equalize with a header from Jackson Morgan, a member of the school’s track and field team, at the mark, setting the stage for Noury’s late heroics.
Despite the disappointing end, Dailey praised his team’s progress throughout the season. “It was a fantastic season,” he said. “We had only returned one starter, so it was 10 new guys, and it was a matter of learning and carving out an identity. They did a fabulous job.” The Golden Eagles had previously won the District 3-5A championship in each of Dailey’s first two years at the school.
The loss concluded the season for Fleming Island, while Gulf Breeze advanced to the Region 1-5A semifinal, facing Washington on .
Elsewhere in regional action, St. Johns Country Day School, the defending Class 1A champions, secured an 8-0 victory over St. John Paul II in their region opener on and were scheduled to host Rocky Bayou Christian. Victoria Sarka led the scoring for St. Johns with a hat trick, while Alana Mantello added two goals and four assists.
In girls soccer, Clay High’s season ended with a quarterfinal loss to Tallahassee Chiles, while Fleming Island also fell in their regional quarterfinal, losing 3-0 to Beachside High. Clay had previously defeated Fleming Island on penalty kicks to win the District 3-5A title, finishing the season with a 10-4-2 record. Fleming Island concluded their season at 7-9-2.
Gulf Breeze also enjoyed success on the girls’ side, defeating Mosley 3-1 in their regional quarterfinal. Both the Gulf Breeze boys and girls soccer teams rallied from early deficits to secure their quarterfinal victories.
