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When Robert Seiner became the boys soccer coach at Demopolis, he didn’t have much experience playing high school soccer, much less soccer at all.

“We played a varsity schedule with mostly eighth graders that season,” Steiner said about his first team five years ago. “Now, those eighth graders are seniors.”

Those players have now seen their hard work and patience pay off, as Demopolis defeated Holtville in penalty kicks on Friday night in the first round of the playoffs.

The Tigers missed their first two penalty kicks but rallied to make the next three. After Holtville made their first three kicks, they missed the fourth.

Then senior goalkeeper Ben Johnson got a save on the final Bulldog kick to send it to sudden death.

Ninth grade striker Tyler Bucurel nailed his penalty kick. Johnson blocked another shot to give the Tigers the win.

“This win is just the culmination of hard work and determination over the past few years,” Steiner said. “It means so much to this program because it shows what happens when you continue to work hard. Good things will happen to you. I am so glad these seniors have the chance to experience not only making the playoffs two years in a row, but also getting an opportunity to host a home game in the playoffs.”

Some heroics in the final minutes of regulation saved the season for Demopolis. Trailing 1-0 in the 79th of 80 minutes, ninth grader Nawaf Bahkder scored a solo goal to tie the game and send it to overtime. The two teams played through both five-minute overtimes and 10 penalty kicks before the Tigers clinched the win.

The Tigers were scheduled to play Brewbaker Tech on Tuesday on the high school soccer pitch. The score was not available as of press time. 

“It means so much for this program to get the opportunity to get a chance to host a meaningful game, a playoff game right here at home,” Steiner said. “It’s been a while since the program won a playoff game. We are excited to be in the position.”