Taylor rips Timber Creek for 2 goals, carries East Ridge

Caleb Moore adds a goal and an assist to help the Knights to a region-final home game against Winter Park

CLERMONT, FLORIDA – Amir Taylor scored two goals, and the East Ridge Knights staved off late Timber Creek pressure to oust the Wolves, 3-1, Saturday in a Class 7A, Region 1 semifinal.

The Knights (16-3-1) advanced to their third consecutive region final, facing sixth-seeded Winter Park. East Ridge will host a regional final for the first time, while Winter Park is trying to reach the state semifinals for the first time since a 2016 Class 5A final finish.

East Ridge junior Amir Taylor (right) celebrates the Knights' 3-1 victory over Timber Creek with teammate Elijah Cordner. Taylor had two goals for the Knights / Photo by Lynn Ramsey

“Three games left, one game at a time,” said East Ridge midfielder Caleb Moore, who had a goal and an assist. “We have three games to be state champions. That’s all it takes. Fight as a family.”

Taylor scored the first and last goals for the Knights, giving him 12 for the year. Teammate Caleb Moore added a goal and an assist, while Ethan Loden and Samuel Middendorf also assisted on goals.

Preston Williams scored for the Wolves off a Yousef Shakweer assist with 14:10 left, but the Wolves could not capitalize on subsequent chances.

Loden set up the Knights’ 1-0 lead by racing down the left sideline, then centering to Amir Taylor, who buried a shot into the lower right corner with 34:34 left in the first half.

“I have to shout out my teammates for that,” Taylor said. “They passed me the ball in the middle. Ethan gave me a good ball and squared off.”

Nicholas Aquilino kept the Knights ahead by making a save on a Finnegan Hurley shot. Hurley had stolen a clearing attempt, but he shot just inside the penalty area. Aquilino also intercepted a dangerous corner kick into the box.

Center backs Jackson Sandoval and Chase Barth also cleared out several dangerous chances. Barth said that Aquilino gives the Knights’ defense confidence.

East Ridge coach John Quirk hugs defender Jackson Sandoval after the Knights' 3-1 victory over Timber Creek in a Class 7A, Region 1 semifinal / Photo by Lynn Ramsey

“They were going with a lot of counterattacks. Their big kid came down the middle pretty quick,” Sandoval said. “The whole season we’ve been really good defensively. We’ll get two players on the ball and box out, easy clearance.”

East Ridge kept Timber Creek goalkeeper Mason Chubb busy throughout the first half. Taylor passed to Maxwell Kempany, but Chubb stopped his shot.

Timber Creek shifted formation, trying to add more pressure. Wolves coach Ibrahim Chehab switched his team from a four-back, four-midfielder, three-forward formation to three-back, four-midfielder, two forwards and one striker. “In the final 20 minutes, we actually had opportunities,” Chehab said. “We could’ve tied it 3-3. We came very close getting that second goal and third goal. It wasn’t our night, but I’m very proud of our guys.”

Timber Creek struggled to clear the ball early in the second half. Caleb Moore made the Wolves pay, taking a Samuel Middendorf pass and burying a laser shot from 35 yards to put the Knights up 2-0 8 minutes into the second half.

Moore said the Timber Creek player who was marking him shifted to defend the throw-in. He then signaled to Middendorf to pass.

“He played it to me over my hips,” Moore said. “It felt good to me, and it knuckled. So I knew it was in as soon as I hit it.”

Moore set up Taylor’s second goal with 28:36 left in regulation, passing left. Taylor caught the ball just inside the penalty area, and beat the keeper right from 10 yards to put the Knights up 3-0.

“Caleb gave me a really good ball,” Taylor said. “They were easy goals for me.”

Moore said he said the fullback and center back left a gap for him to pass to Taylor. “I said ‘Amir,’ and he just turned. He popped it. He did what he does best – put the ball into the net.”

Preston Williams scored with 14:10 left to pull Timber Creek within 3-1. Yousef Shakweer fought through two defenders to send a cross pass to Williams on the left post. Williams the put the ball into the lower left corner.

The Wolves got two more chances in the final 7 minutes. Shakweer tried an extreme shot from near the baseline but bounced it off the goalpost. Grayson Wright had another shot but he missed just wide for the Wolves.

“We just had to stay calm,” Sandoval said. “If you start going crazy, you start slipping, you’ll start missing. We just had to keep the momentum we had all game.”