Cougars win, advance to Final 4

Published 7:30 pm Tuesday, October 19, 2010

GRACE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY Cougars East Region Tournament All Panhandle Christian Conference soccer performers display their medals and honors. From left, junior midfielder and tournament most valuable player Kyle Harris, holding his trophy, freshman goal keeper Grant McDonald, holding the team's Eastern Region Tournament championship trophy, and senior defender T.J. Carlisle, holding the team's Eastern Region regular season champions award.|Julie Harris

Coach Justin Gravlee’s Grace Christian Academy Cougars soccer team has added the Panhandle Christian Conference Eastern Region Tournament championship to the regular season title they had won earlier.

They won the tournament title with a 3-1 Saturday home victory over Emmanuel Christian School of Dothan, Ala., at the Bainbridge-Decatur County YMCA soccer field.

The Cougars were led by the tournament’s Most Valuable Player Kyle Harris, who scored one goal and assisted on another in the tournament championship game.

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Harris, a junior midfielder, was one of three Cougars named to the Conference’s All-Conference team.

He had an unassisted goal in the 39th minute. It came on a penalty kick following a push in the box.

Named to the All-Conference team with Harris were freshman goal keeper Grant McDonald and senior defender T.J. Carlisle.

Bryce McQuaid scored the Cougars second goal with an assist by Chase Harris. McQuaid touched a loose ball into the net following a scramble inside the six-yard box.

Kyle Harris assisted on an Alex Ward goal in the 75th minute. Ward finished a rebounded shot from within the six yard box .

The Cougars, who are 9-5 overall and 4-1 in East Region play, will now advance to the Conference Final 4 Tournament this Friday and Saturday at Emmanuel in Dothan, Ala.

They will play Central Christian School from Robertsdale, Ala., the second seeded team from the conference’s Western Region, Friday at Emmanuel in Dothan, Ala.