In a match that decided the region championship, Starr’s Mill lost 2-1 to county rival McIntosh.

“The game didn’t come down to skill, both teams are very skilled,” Starr’s Mill head coach Aaron Buck said. “It just comes down to a little bit of luck.”

Junior Camilo Velez scored the lone goal for Starr’s Mill. McIntosh juniors Jacob Witucki and Judd Denney scored. Both teams had multiple shots on goal. 

“We recovered well, but there wasn’t much else we could do,” Velez said. 

The entirety of the game had a split in possession. McIntosh came out on top in the first half with Witucki scoring the first goal in the 20th minute. 

“We were stressed before, but that goal really put us back on track,” Velez said.

The second half was much more action packed with Velez scoring right off the whistle. McIntosh responded with a goal by Denney in the 53rd minute. It would be all the Chiefs needed to seal the win. 

The win gives McIntosh the Region 2-AAAAA title and drops Starr’s Mill to third in the region standings. The Panthers travel to Ola on April 13 for the first round of the state playoffs.

“It’s a one game season from here on out,” Buck said.