Winning the first game of the season is key in getting momentum for the remainder of the season, but beating a rival is an even better way to start a season. The Bowling Green Purples kicked the 2013 season off with a 1-0 win over rival Greenwood on August 20th. The victory was the second straight for the Purples over the Gators dating back to last season.
The match was a defensively-tight game, with neither team advancing past the other’s defense. Late in the first half, the Purples made an aggressive push past the Greenwood defense. Bowling Green sophomore Gilio Aviles rebounded a miss from a teammate, and scored the only goal of the match. Aviles was in the right place at the right time, as Greenwood goalkeeper Mitch O’Kelly had blocked a previous shot directly in front of Aviles, leading to an easy tip-in for the BGHS sophomore.
The goal by Aviles was even more impressive due to the fact that he is only a sophomore. Bowling Green head coach Craig Widener had nothing but positive things to say about the underclassmen, “Gilio’s main thing is he never stops working, he pushes forward and follows all the rebounds.” Aviles is not treated as an underclassmen on this team, as he proved that he shouldn’t be with his goal against Greenwood. “It felt great,” said Aviles. “Especially coming as a sophomore, it just proves that no matter how young you are, it just matters all the effort that you put into it.”
Another storyline on Tuesday night was the defense by BGHS. Led by seniors Will Patton and Enes Atici, the Purples consistently held the Greenwood attack back for eighty minutes. “The entire week the defense focused on our shape as a group and it really paid off,”said Patton.
The Purples were backed by an extra force against Greenwood, the Purple Nation. Widener attributes the cheering from the Bowling Green student section as a factor in the win, “You could see us get a little tired, then the fans started chanting and we picked it right back up,” said Widener.
The strong start by BGHS is already a thing of the past for the Purples, as they are preparing for their upcoming game against Owensboro. Reorganizing a team after a win over a rival is difficult, but the Purples are ready to focus on the remainder of the season. “That all falls on the players, they understand tomorrow’s a new day,” said Widener. The Purples and Gators will face off again September 19th at Greenwood High School to rekindle the rivalry.
