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Greco’s stops lift Fluvanna

If someone had told Monticello coach Adam Southall what Fluvanna keeper Nick Greco was going to do Tuesday night?

“I’d have probably laughed at them,” Southall said.

If you’d told Greco, he’d have likely chuckled too. Anyone would really.

In one of the most exciting local soccer battles of the year, Southall’s Monticello squad took regular season Jefferson District champion Fluvanna County to the brink, pushing a tie game into overtime, then sudden death and finally penalty kicks. That’s where Greco drew a line in the sand.

The junior keeper came up with three straight shots, blanking the Mustangs in the shootout, and Fluvanna’s Tygh Allbaugh, Nick Shepherd and Taylor Rafaly buried their shots to give the Flucos a 2-1 lead and a berth in the JD tournament championship game. Greco’s three straight stops — one to his left, another to his right and then finally another to his left — were spectacular, and made his third team All-JD nod, released after the game, appear a little short of his talents.

“Before the shootout I was really focused and calm because I had to get my mind straight,” Greco said. “Once I made that first save I got up and I was just yelling and everything. And then once the shot came again I had to get focused again.”

The score was tied at the half after Allbaugh buried a free kick for a goal to knot the game after Monticello sophomore Brent Loth headed in a goal in the first half to give the Mustangs a 1-0 lead. Fluvanna got a lucky break in the opening half, as the Mustangs barely missed a chance to go up by two goals when a shot went high and wide.

Fluvanna had several opportunities in regulation and during overtime to put the game away, including a late Shepherd run where the senior, understandably ran out of gas.

“We have two of the best finishers in the district (Rafaly and Shepherd), if not the best two, and they were just a little off tonight,” said Fluvanna coach Patrick Dieter. “I tell you what, the heat was tough on all the boys.”

Greco’s performance overshadowed a brilliant outing by Monticello’s own keeper, Milton Ortiz, a junior who came out for the team this year and told Southhall he wanted to play keeper, despite having little experience at the spot outside of pick-up games with friends. He’s been solid all season, and he kept the Mustangs in the game with the Flucos Tuessday, making a leaping stop on a free kick in the first sudden death overtime, laying out to his left for the stop.

“He’s a phenomenal kid — small in stature, huge heart,” Southall said. “He came out in tryouts and said ‘coach, I want to play keeper.’ We didn’t have one so I said have at it. I’d put him up against anybody.”

Fluvanna learned a lot about its own squad in the nailbiter, and they shouldn’t be fazed by any other late match situation with the game on the line.

“Now we feel really comfortable — we feel really good,” Greco said.

Fluvanna will battle Western Albemarle for the JD title Thursday night at Monticello High.

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