SPANISH FORK — On paper, the Highland Rams don't look like much. They came into the playoffs one game below .500 on the season and probably appeared to a lot of people like an early victim for some highly seeded team.
But, Friday's first-round game was played on grass — not paper — and Highland stunned Region 6 champion Spanish Fork with a thrilling 2-1 win in double overtime.
In the 96th minute, Highland forward Peter Awan got control of the ball on a breakaway and outran the Spanish Fork defense all the way to the goal where he tapped in an easy shot over the goal keeper to win the game.
After starting out the year with a dismal 2-8 record, the Rams have now won six consecutive games and are looking like legitimate championship contenders.
"We started not that good at the beginning of the year," said Highland coach Fode Doumbia. "We have so many things to work on at the beginning of the season, that by the time the whole team gels it's around the middle of the season. Now we're coming from six straight wins and I think we're going ahead with this."
Doumbia's team won't be able to hide behind a mediocre record anymore. The final score didn't indicate how much Highland dominated the game, but the rest of the teams in the playoffs are sure to take note.
The Rams got on the board first when Jesus Rodriguez got in front of the defense and hit a clean shot into the right side of the net in the sixth minute.
Spanish Fork answered in the 18th minute when Scottie Webster dribbled down the left side of the field and angled a shot into the opposite corner of the goal to tie the game at 1-1.
Both teams went scoreless for the rest of the game until Awan's winning shot, mostly because Highland could not find a way to get the ball into the net despite several excellent opportunities.
"We really dominated them," said Doumbia. "I think we really shouldn't have gone to overtime. But this is the playoffs."
Most of the Rams' chances came in the final minutes of regulation and in overtime. During that stretch, Awan alone had at least three open looks at the goal but missed every time. One shot went wide, one was too high, and another was barely saved by the Dons' star goal keeper Jake Watters.
"When we started overtime I told (Awan), 'Be patient. You'll get it,"' Doumbia explained. "I knew he would outrun people. When that ball started going, I knew it was in."
Highland will face Pleasant Grove in the second round next Tuesday.