Soccer: Mosley boys gain confidence in loss to Chiles

SAND HILLS — The thick fog that made the first half of Mosley’s boys soccer game against Tallahassee Chiles nearly unwatchable dissipated after an hour on Friday. What spectators and coaches could see in the second half gave reason for optimism for the Dolphins.

Mosley played Chiles, the District 2-4A top seed, to a scoreless tie in the second half in a match played at Bozeman’s football stadium. The Timberwolves (16-2-1, 6-0) won 3-1, as all the scoring came in the first half under dense fog that at times had people on the sidelines questioning who scored goals.

It was Mosley’s third loss to Chiles this season, twice in district play and another in a tournament. However, Mosley was the aggressor in the second half on Friday and Dolphins coach Dave Skakal and Co. came away with a renewed sense of hope entering the district tournament in two weeks.

“We played them really well in the second half,” Skakal said. “I’m pretty satisfied, and that’s what I’m going to tell the guys. We wanted to play the best we could in the second half and we did.”

Chiles still outshot Mosley 8-6 in the second half, but the Dolphins had the best chances to score. One, a header in the middle of a scrum, bounced off the goalpost. Grady Marsh also poked the ball past Chiles’ goalkeeper Cameron Kostrzewa with 15 minutes to play, but the Dolphin forward was ruled offside and the goal was nullified.

The game changed on a pair of caroms in the first half. Players said visibility on the field was manageable, but spectators and those on the sidelines had trouble making out what was happening beyond the gaze of a pair of extended arms.

Skakal said Mosley (7-6-1, 3-5) needed to keep Chiles in check, and early on it appeared as if the Timberwolves would run away with a victory. Cole Hoffman’s corner kick was headed in by Ashton Whitt in just the second minute to give Chiles an early 1-0 advantage.

Mosley weathered more pressure and Mark Grant drilled the ball down the middle of the field to Joey Jacobsen, who tied the game 13 minutes later. The score came on Mosley’s first shot of the match.

Whitt booted in a carom in the 26th minute to give Chiles all the scoring it would need. Chiles coach Bryan Wilkinson asked the question on everyone’s minds as Whitt came off the field.

“Did you score that goal?” he asked. Whitt nodded in reply.

Five minutes later, Dustin Doty dribbled with his right foot then shot with his left, and Mosley goalkeeper Josh Hoey deflected the ball into the middle of the box. Quinton Williams was there to deposit the ball in the back of the net to cap the scoring. Hoey and Nathan Gutcher each made six saves for the Dolphins.

The fog lifted in the second half. Mosley took its best shots but fell short. Skakal hopes the Dolphins get another chance at the Timberwolves.

“We’ll probably see them again in the district tournament,” Skakal said of the third-seeded Dolphins, who will face No. 2 Tallahassee Leon in the semifinal. Chiles will await the play-in winner between Tallahassee Lincoln-Lake City Columbia.

Chiles won the JV match 2-1. Anthony Gentili scored Mosley’s goal on a Judah Tuvyana assist. Mosley’s JV dropped to 7-5-2 with the loss.

Mosley is at Arnold on Tuesday. The JV team will play North Bay Haven.