The Ashton Brosnaham Athletic Park saw a high school soccer game come down to penalty kicks for the second time in as many days.
Only this time, it was on the boys soccer side. Gulf Breeze, slotting in at 10th in the state in the latest FHSAA rankings, and Navarre found themselves knotted, 2-2, after 80 minutes of regulation plus two 10-minute overtime periods.
The Dolphins had tied the game with 8 minutes, 25 seconds left in regulation and had “been on the doorstep” several times afterward and in the overtime frames, Gulf Breeze head coach Austin King said. But Navarre withstood everything that came its way.
Thus came penalty kicks. And for the first time in his career, Navarre goalkeeper Owen Bartlett was going into a PK shootout.
“I just prayed and prayed that we would pull through,” Bartlett said.
Through the first five rounds, the teams were tied, 4-4. Both teams scored in the sixth and seventh rounds, and both missed in the eighth round. The ninth round – ultimately the final round of the shootout – saw Gulf Breeze’s shot saved by Bartlett.