Staff Reports

DOBSON — Starmount’s best soccer season since the run to the state quarterfinals in 2006 came to an end on Saturday night.

The Rams ran into a buzzsaw of an opponent, falling to Surry Central 5-0 in the third round of the 2A tournament. Surry Central (23-2) went on to beat Wilkes Central in the 2A quarterfinals Monday night and was scheduled to play for the West Region championship Wednesday night at Shelby.

Starmount’s season finishes up at 16-5-1.

Antonio Talavera and Bernardo Leandro scored two goals apiece in Surry Central’s win over the Rams. Ed Lira added the other score.

“We were able to finish a lot better tonight,” Golden Eagles coach Blake Roth said after Saturday’s win. “We had some opportunities and we were able to capitalize.”

The game was originally scheduled for last Wednesday, but was postponed twice due to inclement weather. It was at first moved to Thursday, then shifted to Saturday.

Starmount enjoyed playoff victories over Brevard and Jimmy Draughn before being ousted. This year was the program’s second-longest post-season run in school history.

Surry Central built a 3-0 lead by halftime. The Golden Eagles scored on a penalty kick early in the second half and that play took the wind out of the Rams’ sails, coach Dale Draughn said.

“We had some opportunities late in the first half at point-blank range, and their keeper made a couple of good saves,” Draughn said. “If those two go in, it is a different ball game all together, but as fate would have it, neither went in.”

Starmount and Surry Central had been conference mates for several years, in both the Northwest 1A and then the Mountain Valley 2A. The latest realignment put the Rams in one conference (the Mountain Valley 1A/2A) and the Golden Eagles in another (the Northwest 1A/2A).

Surry Central posted a perfect record in the Northwest this season. Starmount finished second in the MVAC behind Wilkes Central.

The Rams and Eagles have tangled in the playoffs before, with Starmount bouncing Surry Central in the first round in 2005.

As for the Rams, their future looks bright. Only three seniors are set to leave the program. Next year’s team should be pretty stacked.

“I told the boys to remember this night and how it feels, and that we would probably see Surry Central again either in the regular season or late in the playoffs again next season,” Draughn said. “I truly think we surprised a lot of people with how we have performed over the season. We are not there yet and they are already talking next year.

“That is what a coach likes to hear.”