Rockets Reach Final Four in Soccer; Jets Next-Best - TribPapers
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Rockets Reach Final Four in Soccer; Jets Next-Best

Enka leading scorer Brandon Miranda ties the playoff match with ACR on this penalty kick. Photo by Pete Zamplas.

Asheville – The Rockets reached state semifinals for the fifth time in 26 seasons under head coach Patrick Gladys, and the third time within a decade. Their prior final four finishes were in 2016, and in 2017 when they were the state runners-up.

Coach Gladys, whose birthday was last week, praised yet another “historic run. These guys made the community proud” amidst post-hurricane stress. Gladys assured his players that “you boys honored the spirit of this community in how you played — relentless, determined, resilient, and fiercely proud.”

Gladys calls his 2024 Rockets “hard-working and dedicated,” a “great attacking team” that is “well-rounded, with experience defensively.”

The Rockets (21-2-1; 8-1 MAC), the West Region’s second seed, blasted Ben L. Smith 7-0 then Robinson 10-1. ACR edged tenth seed Enka (20-2) on Nov. 14, and shut out third-seeded South Point 3-0 on Nov. 16. All were home matches.

Reynolds lost 4-2 at first seed Asheboro (27-2), the state runner-up, on Nov. 19. Cam Letterlough, an amazing 78-goal scorer in 2024, scored three goals for the Blue Comets. He was merely “opportunistic” rather than skillfully “exceptional,” Gladys concluded.

Reynolds scored on penalty kicks by junior Christian Penland and senior Cooper Green. Senior captain Logan Ernst, junior Isaac Chromey, and freshman Alex Golovchuk each scored a round earlier.

Chromey’s Homies

The Rockets acted as “Chromey’s Homies” against Enka, as Chromey scored both ACR goals. He opened scoring two minutes into the match, on a point-blank header. Quinn Wortley set up the goal with a superb free kick. Reynolds led for the next 58 minutes.

Enka tied it on senior Brandon Miranda’s penalty kick with 23:37 left in regulation. Miranda drilled the ball into the net’s left corner, for his team-leading 22nd goal. The game was scoreless through the first ten-minute OT.

Enka head coach Jason ReMine said that Rocket midfielders “stepped up” rushes, especially in the second overtime. Jet goalkeeper Julian Thingvoll made two spectacular saves. The husky junior dove to his left and swatted away hard shots to rob Chromey then Green. Thingvoll seemingly channeled Green’s athletic elder brother Sean Green, the two-time all-state Rocket GK who now plays for Creighton University.

Chromey scored the go-ahead goal, 3:30 into the second OT. He blasted the ball above Thingvoll’s reach. It bounced off of the crossbar, downward into the net. His shot was off of a return pass from fellow speedy, elusive forward Penland.

Glad-ys Wrap

The “Reynolds Wrap®”/”Glad-ys Wrap” air-tight defense kept Enka scoreless for the OT’s remaining 6:30 to win. Senior goalkeeper Sage Tanner (0.60 GAA) made critical saves. Senior defender Gio Hernandez “locked up Brandon Miranda” for most of the match, Coach Gladys said. “Brandon is one of the best attacking players in the state. He’s very clever on the ball. We had to account for him.”

The two teams previously split, with Enka the sole team to defeat ACR in the regular season. They contrast in styles. Enka counter-attacks to suddenly “pump the ball up to their great attacking players,” Gladys said. “They tend to sit in and absorb pressure defensively, and then break out quickly when they win the ball. They are very good at it.”

‘Magi-sterical’

Chromey, the team’s leader in total points, calls the magical playoff run’s hysteria “magi-sterical.” He said that the Rockets “keep digging after the ball.” Ernst said, “We keep pushing” on offense.

Penland said before the semifinals, “We give it 100 percent.” In round two, he brilliantly weaved through defenders to set up a goal.

Reynolds can return most of its leading scorers, other than senior Ernst. Chromey led Reynolds with 35 points — 17 goals and 18 assists. Leading Rocket goal scorers are Ernst (18), Golovchuk (17), Chromey (17) and Penland (10). Penland had 16 assists.

Michigan native Gladys has 23 league titles and a 892-257-71 mark in 51 combined seasons since 1999. His 2015 Lady Rockets squad is Buncombe County’s only public school state champion.

Enka: 20 Wins Again

Enka beat ACR 2-1 in double overtime. Reynolds won the rematch 4-1, and earned MAC top 3A seeding with a higher RPI rating. Enka was a soccer league co-champion for the first time since 2012. Enka shut out Central Cabarrus 3-0, then edged Atkins 3-2 at home in round two. Jet goalkeepers Julian Thingvoll (0.56 GAA) and sophomore Jackson Williams (1.28) typically rotated by match halves.

Asheville (16-4-1; 6-2) was the top MAC 4A seed, ahead of T.C. Roberson (5-12-2; 4-4). In playoff openers, AHS and 2A Owen and Hendersonville each won while 3A West and East Henderson lost.