SOCIAL CIRCLE, Ga. — One thing appeared evident when Social Circle and Whitefield Academy squared off Tuesday night at Redskins Stadium: Neither team wanted their season to end. 

Ultimately, the Lady Redskins reigned victorious 4-3 over the Lady WolfPack. But Tuesday’s match remained close until the final buzzer.

As the closing seconds ticked away on the game clock, Whitefield Academy set up for a corner kick in an attempt to tie the score. It had a few opportunities to net a goal when, all of a sudden, the ball was kicked high and away out of bounds. 

By the time the ball could be put back into play, the clock hit 0:00 and the Lady Redskins had begun their celebration. 

A sense of ease overcame head coach Heather Richardson once the game concluded. 

“I was just very relieved,” Richardson said. “Because they are a very good team. They were trying to get the momentum very much so, because they knew they were running out of time. It was just definitely a sense of relief. The whole game was just so intense from the beginning all the way to the end.” 

All four of Social Circle’s goals came courtesy of Peyton Brooks. 

The senior’s first score succeeded a Whitefield Academy goal less than seven minutes into the action.

At the 26:30 mark of the first half, Brooks jetted down the field with a defender trailing behind her. She tied the score up at one apiece with her inaugural goal. 

Minutes later in the opening half, Brooks was in pursuit of her second goal when she was fouled in the box, earning a penalty kick.

One-on-one with the Lady WolfPack’s goalie, Brooks drilled the shot in the back of the net to place Social Circle up 2-1. 

With 7:51 left in the first half, junior Alana Ferguson was fouled close to the goal and the Lady Redskins had a free-kick opportunity. Brooks made the shot and, in the background of the players’ celebration, the Social Circle public address announcer, Davey Clark referred to Brooks as “Peyton ‘Hat Trick’ Brooks.”

The decisive goal of Tuesday’s match came when Brooks broke away downfield and netted the go-ahead and eventual game-winning goal. 

Brooks’ performance is par for the course, according to Richardson.

“She did what people expect her to do,” Richardson said. “She was calm and collected. Every time she had an opportunity, she finished it today. And that just comes from all season long just continuous pounding at the goal, which is what she likes to do. We’re really proud of her…couldn’t be more proud of her.”

Whitefield Academy would not go away easily, though. 

The Lady WolfPack scored two goals with 5:32 left in the first half and again at the 11:45 mark of the second, courtesy of a penalty kick. The latter goal tied the score 3-3.

Additionally, the Lady Redskins’ defense was tested all throughout the second half with a plethora of corner kicks from Whitefield Academy. 

However, Social Circle’s defense held true to play a pivotal part in the final result. 

Gentrie Mobley, the sophomore goalkeeper, collected six total saves in Tuesday’s match as well.

Richardson was ecstatic with how her team defended each corner kick and highlighted the importance of defensive play at this current juncture of the year. 

“Defense wins ball games 100 percent,” Richardson said. “And the defense tonight — from all over the field — they were tracking back and they just played with everything they had. And they had to. When you get to this level and you’re playing teams like this, you have to play defense just as much as you want to play offense.”

Social Circle will now set its sights on the Elite Eight of the Class A-Division I playoffs. On the Georgia High School Association’s website, the Lady Redskins (15-2-1) will match up against the East Laurens Lady Falcons (19-1) of Region 2A-Division I. 

The Lady Redskins will host the contest at Redskins Stadium on Tuesday, April 30 at 5 p.m.

Richardson wants her players to take away one thing from Tuesday and carry it over into the upcoming round.

“When the whistle blew, a lot of our girls…there were tears in their eyes. It was joyful tears and it was a relief,” Richardson said. “This was probably one of the most intense games they’ve played all season, which is good. I would like them to take this positive energy into the next game, because that’s how it’s going to be the rest of the way.”