The Lakewood Leopards opened the Carolina 1A/2A Conference soccer tournament with a strong 3-0 shutout over the North Duplin Rebels on a rain-soaked field Monday night.
Due to West Columbus forfeiting to East Bladen, Lakewood accepted the challenge and handled the cards that were dealt. Despite heavy rainfall throughout the match, the Leopards maintained control from start to finish, punching their ticket to face county rival Hobbton in the next round.
The Leopards dominated early possession, keeping the ball on North Duplin’s side of the pitch while working through slick conditions that made footing difficult. After several close attempts, freshman Brandon Martinez broke through at the 10-minute mark, sending a clean strike into the net for the game’s first goal.
Minutes later, Lakewood’s pressure intensified. Gerson Navas capitalized on a slip by a Rebel defender and drove home the second goal with 16 minutes left in the half. Navas struck again with just over eight minutes remaining, giving the Leopards a commanding 3-0 lead heading into the break.
In the second half, Lakewood continued to control the tempo. Though several scoring opportunities sailed just high or were stopped by North Duplin’s goalkeeper Carlos Mendez, the Leopard defense, led by John Fernandez, Martinez, and the support of goalie Dylan McLaurin, preserved the clean sheet. McLaurin turned away every late push by the Rebels, sealing the win in a gritty, weather-tested performance.
Martinez, one of the youngest players on the roster, said his motivation comes from wanting to give back to the upperclassmen who have led the team this season.
“I feel like since I’m the youngest one and I just joined, I want to give it all for the seniors,” Martinez said. “It’s their last year, and I want to hustle hard and be the best I can to give them what they want and finish what we started.”
Known for his intensity on both ends of the field, Martinez said he strives to make every game count.
“Every game, I want to play as good as I can,” he said. “I know some games, I might not be the best, but I always want to show that I’m someone you should see.”
When asked if he feels he has something to prove, the freshman didn’t hesitate. “Yes, I do,” he said. “All of my family are good athletes, and I want to be the top one. I want to show that I’m more than just them, that I’m myself, and that I can carry my own.”
Head coach Marcos Perez said the performance reflected the version of the Leopards he has been waiting to see.
“They’re the team we know. They’re the team we’ve been training, and they know it,” Perez attested. “They show up when they want to show up. We have a good game, then we have a bad one. Hopefully, tomorrow everything changes. We’ve had back-to-back good games now and hope this standard continues.”
Perez credited his team’s focus amid the downpour.
“It’s all mental. We weren’t going to let a bit of rain stop us,” he said. “We figured it was better to go ahead and play. Games like this build character, and they’re starting to see it. Hopefully it’ll work all the way down to the end.”
Looking ahead to the next round against Hobbton, Perez emphasized consistency.
“We beat them before, but that doesn’t mean anything now,” he said. “They’re not untouchable, and we just have to show up again. At the end of the day, it’s up to them. There’s nothing else we can teach them at this point. They already know what to do. They just have to do it one more time.”
North Duplin head coach Luis Villalon praised his players for their perseverance despite the result and difficult conditions.
“Every time we get out here to play, it’s an opportunity to win, to get better, and to have another extra game,” Villalon said. “I have 13 seniors, and they’re done after this year, so the more games we can play, the better.”
Villalon said his focus remains on keeping his team motivated for the state playoffs.
“I don’t want them to have their heads down,” he said. “When I was a senior and it was my last game, it hurt. The main thing is for them to have fun and give everything they’ve got.”
Despite the early exit, Villalon said he has seen significant improvement throughout the season.
“From where we started to where we’re at now, there’s a whole lot more chemistry that these kids have built together,” he said. “Progression, that’s a win within itself.”
With the 3-0 victory, Lakewood advances to meet Hobbton in the conference semifinals. The match was scheduled for Tuesday evening, but do to inclement weather, the semifinal has been postponed to Wednesday.
No matter when the match ends up being played, Coach Perez and his Leopards will aim to extend their recent momentum, while North Duplin turns its attention to the state playoff picture and the chance to give its senior class one more run together.