Boys soccer playoffs: Bishop Kenny, Providence, St. Johns advance to regional finals

Just in time for Bishop Kenny's biggest game of 2023, head coach Matthew Case decided the time was right for a tactical tweak.

"I just wanted to throw a little wrinkle in," Case said.

That little wrinkle helped place senior Joseph Jimenez in position to score both goals against first-year program Beachside, firing Bishop Kenny to a 2-0 win and ending the Barracudas' debut season in Monday's Florida High School Athletic Association Region 1-4A boys soccer semifinal.

Also starring on the evening: Bishop Kenny goalkeeper Gavin Salomone, who commanded his penalty area with authority and twice denied Beachside defender Landon Liotta with acrobatic saves to preserve the shutout in the teams' third meeting in six weeks.

"He made some good saves in there, and on another night, those opportunities go in the net," Beachside coach Mark Forrester said. "But tonight wasn't going to be the night."

Jimenez, the leading scorer for the Crusaders (14-3-3), shifted to a new position on the right flank. After a scoreless and choppy opening period, Bishop Kenny's move paid off.

He raced onto a Patrick Russell cross from the left and finished for the opening goal in the 56th minute, then put the game away in the dying seconds off Haydon Bray's assist.

"He played on the right the majority of the night tonight because I felt like we would be able to get some crosses in, and he's been there all season," Case said.

Beachside had previously rallied from a three-goal hole to tie the Crusaders 3-3 on Jan. 9 and beat them on penalties to win District 4-4A on Feb. 1.

Forrester cheered the season achievements of a Barracudas team without seniors, who included four freshman starters in keeper Owen Carey, wide midfielder Carson Garner and central midfield pair Julio Chaparro and Santiago Suarez.

"That's all down to the boys and their hard work," Forrester said. "We didn't fear anybody and we had a go at everybody."

A realigned central defensive duo of Ethan Eddins and Brody Cooper held the Barracudas (8-5-6) at bay, securing a Wednesday home game against Yulee for a berth in the final four.

"They did what they do best," Case said.

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REGION 1-3A

Providence punched a regional final ticket for the first time since 2011, winning a 5-4 penalty kick shootout against Florida High (12-10-2) after regulation and overtime ended 0-0. Goalkeeper Ridge Cullen saved two shots in the shootout and converted one himself, along with teammates Kody Fallon, Paul Fedoruk, Matthew Garcia and Matthew Rice, sending the Stallions (11-2-3) through to meet Bolles in Wednesday's third round.

REGION 1-2A

St. Johns Country Day's boys team extended its playoff run, with a 3-2 shootout win against St. Joseph (8-4-5) after 100 scoreless minutes. The Spartans (8-5-4), state runners-up in 2021, also beat St. Joseph in the district final two weeks ago.

The Spartans travel Wednesday to Tallahassee St. John Paul II, which ended the best-ever season of Harvest Community. A header off a throw-in from freshman Matias Pardi in double overtime gave the Panthers (15-2-1) the green light, edging out the Warriors (7-4-2) for a 3-2 win and the program's first regional championship game, after Harvest had forced OT with two goals in the last 12 minutes of regulation.

The Tallahassee Democrat contributed to this story.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: High school boys soccer 2023: Northeast Florida Monday playoff recap