COUNTRYSIDE - The Hillsborough boys won a physical match 2-1 against their Pinellas rivals in the 11th annual Senior Soccer Challenge on Saturday.
The win gives Hillsborough a 7-4 lead in the series for the Frank and Carol Ferguson Cup. It also marks Hillsborough's first win since 2001.
In the girls game, Pinellas scored twice in the final 13 minutes to put away Hillsborough 2-1. After failing to beat Hillsborough for four years from 1999-2002, the Pinellas girls have won consecutive matches.
"It was a very close game. High intensity," Pinellas MVP Shana Hudson said.
The East Lake player, headed for the University of Florida next season, said she enjoyed playing against her Hillsborough County United club teammates - six of whom were on the Hillsborough all-stars roster.
Lindsey Moore (Tampa Catholic) broke a scoreless deadlock in the 66th minute, nailing a shot into the upper corner. In the 77th minute Countryside's Jasmine Johnson went down in the box, and Tarpon Springs captain Libby Gianeskis converted the penalty kick.
With 5:45 to play, Palm Harbor University's Kaylyn Smith carried to the corner, then cut it back to Lisa Matuska (Clearwater Central Catholic), who tapped it in. In the boys game, Gaither's Trevor Scott knocked a hard corner kick to Durant's Steven Olieberg for the game's first score in the ninth minute. Pinellas answered in the 38th minute as St. Petersburg's Mac Smith got a breakaway, collided with Hillsborough keeper Chris Sedlak and saw the ball trickle into the goal.
Hillsborough went up again when Berkeley Prep's Demetri Arnaoutakis followed up Davison's shot to make it 2-1.
Berkeley Prep's Kevin Sachs was MVP for Hillsborough, and PHU's Jeff Livingston was his team's MVP.
