JACKSONVILLE -- The rain that has plagued the past two weeks of the state high school boys soccer playoffs prevailed again Wednesday night in the 3-A Eastern Regional championship between Chapel Hill and Jacksonville.
The referees officiating the match determined that the field was unsafe for play at the end of regulation with the Tigers (17-7-1) and Cardinals (28-0) all even at 1-1. This morning, officials from both schools will determine where and when to finish the match. The hope is that a suitable field can be found so that the match can be completed today. Triangle-area sites were among the locations being bandied about after Wednesday's match was called.
The winner will move into the state championship match, which is scheduled for Saturday.
With rain expected through Thursday night along the coast, the Jacksonville pitch - left with water standing on the field from the top of one penalty area to the other -- is not an option.
The 2-A Eastern Regional championship between Pittsboro Northwood and Swansboro, which was to be played Wednesday just down the road from Jacksonville, was postponed.
After the first 55 minutes of the 3-A regional final match was played in a downpour that left the players noticeably being careful with each step, a drenching rain fell for the final 25 minutes of regulation.
The area received more than a half a foot of rain last week from the remnants of Hurricane Ida, so the field was ripe to go south quickly with more rain.
The Cardinals, who had outscored their first four playoff opponents 18-0, got on the board eight minutes into the second half when Patrick Lynch just slid a ball into the lower-left corner after a pass from Jimmy Johnson.
Twelve minutes later, Chapel Hill junior Chris Gillespie outran two Cardinals defenders to the ball some 30 yards away from the goal, then he kept both players just enough behind him to get off a low shot that found the back of the net for a 1-all tie.
