Coach Justin Gravlee’s Grace Christian Academy Cougars soccer team dropped a well-played 2-1 match to the Northside Methodist Academy Knights on Sept. 11 at the West Gate soccer Complex in Dothan, Ala.

The Knights went ahead 1-0 in the first minute of the match when Caleb Holland scored on a back-door header off a crossing pass from the left side.

Neither team scored again until the 57th minute. That is when the Knights’ Seth Downing flicked a pass from teammate Martin Everett within the 6-yard box into the goal to give the Knights a 2-0 lead.

The Cougars cut the lead in half in the 80th minute when Chase Harris scored an unassisted goal on a shot from inside the 6-yard box following a deflection off the Knights’ goal keeper.

After the match, coach Gravlee talked about the progress his team has made this season.

“Considering our age and size, we played huge against a Goliath of a team,” he said. “I am excited about our progress since the start of the season.”

The Cougars had 11 shots on goal against the Knights, two by Paul Randall Soden, three by Chase Harris, three by Kyle Harris, and one each by Taylor McDonald, Trea Kelly and Jordan Davis.