Hendersonville High senior Reed Coffman (18) and Gallatin senior Tyler Carlson leap in an attempt to head a 50-50 ball during first-half action.
GALLATIN For 57 minutes, the Hendersonville High and Gallatin High boys soccer teams were as even as two teams could get.
Commando seniors Cole Egan and Owen Kalada changed that in 57 seconds, with each converting on second-half penalty kicks less than a minute apart to push the visiting Commandos to a 2-0 victory over the Green Wave in Thursday evening’s regular-season finale.
“I’m just glad that my team trusts me to take (penalty kicks),” said Egan, who scored the first goal with 23 minutes remaining. “I’m glad we got it. I wish we could have gotten a little more cushion, but we’ll take what we can get.”
Hendersonville High senior Thomas Roberts dribbles upfield under pressure from Gallatin sophomore Elmer Majano during first-half action.
Hendersonville (10-6-2, 5-2) finished in third place in District 9-AAA, dropping Gallatin to fourth for next week’s district tournament.
Gallatin sophomore Elmer Majano appeared to score (8-9 overall, 4-3 in District 9-AAA) with 30 minutes to play, but it was negated due to an offsides infraction.
Both teams host first-round matches on Monday, with the Commandos hosting sixth-seeded Beech and Gallatin hosting fifth-seeded Lebanon.
Gallatin High sophomore Will Stevens and Hendersonville senior Owen Kalada battle for a 50-50 ball during first-half action. Kalada scored on a penalty kick in the Commandos’ 2-0 victory.
“Favorite time of the year,” Hendersonville head coach Russ Plummer said. “You’ve got to love it.”
Hendersonville defeated visiting Beech, 4-1, on April 28.
“(It’s a) big rival, and I’m excited for it,” Egan said. “It’s at home, and you can’t ask for any more than that.”
Hendersonville High senior Cole Egan heads a ball away from the box during first-half action. Egan scored on a penalty kick in the Commandos’ 2-0 victory on Thursday evening.
Gallatin claimed a 1-0 victory over visiting Lebanon on April 19.
“I felt like we played a good game, and we didn’t finish our opportunities,” Gallatin head coach Greg Harper said. “(Lebanon’s) a good team, and we’ve got to come ready to battle and keep our season going.”
Reach Chris Brooks at cbrooks@tennessean.com or at 615-575-7118. Follow him on Twitter @CB_SumnerSports.