Early on in the boy’s state playoff soccer match against Johnston, Wilmont Manneh collided with Kongolo Mwenemkamba ’22, City’s goalie, resulting in a red card for Manneh, their star player.  Kongolo left the game, but returned to play. After the game, he was sent to the hospital with a jaw injury.

Down a player and a goal later in the game City scored, but the goal was disallowed and the Little Hawk fell 1-0 to Johnston.

“I am really proud of our team.  We left our heart on the field.  The calls didn’t go our way, and it just wasn’t our night,” Thomas Ksobiech ’23 said.

Thomas, who is a certified referee, explained that when going for a ball around a goalie, a player can’t touch the goalie before he hits the ball, but if a player gets to the ball first then contact may occur legally.

In the end, split-second moments of goalies and players colliding sent Johnston on to the state soccer players.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH HIGHLIGHT OF RED CARD

Videos courtesy of Andy Tinkham