His first shot might have been blocked, but SJ Martinez would not be denied a second time.
The Friends Academy junior gathered his own rebound inside the box and blasted the ball into the back of the net, lifting the Quakers to a dramatic 2-1 victory against North Shore in overtime on Thursday.
The no-doubt-about-it finisher sent Friends Academy on to the semifinals of the Class ‘A’ playoffs; the No. 4 Quakers will play top-seeded Locust Valley at noon on Sunday, Oct. 26, at Farmingdale State College.
The home crowd erupted into a frenzy on Thursday as SJ’s shot rippled the back of the net with 6:25 left to play in overtime. Students stormed the field and mobbed SJ as the team celebrated its first playoff victory since 2014.
WATCH NOW: Highlights from the Quakers’ 2-1 OT victory at home
“It was just such a surreal moment,” SJ says of his classmates emptying the bleachers. “It was just a really crazy moment, I couldn't believe it. I saw my whole class, my whole grade, just everyone was running to me — they all hugged me — it was just one of the best moments of my life.”
The moment was made possible by not giving up when his first shot was blocked by the goalkeeper.
“The first shot I missed, but I didn't lose hope and I followed it up,” he says. “I was lucky that I was in the right place, right time. Then I saw my whole team, all the fans, rushing to me — I was just electric.”
Friends Academy fell behind 1-0 in the second half on an unlucky header, but the Quakers continued pressing and evened the score with just under 10 minutes remaining when junior Jack Steinberg drilled the ball with his left foot inside the left post.
“We never lost hope. We kept playing,” Jack says. “We were encouraging each other, our coaches, our teammates on the sideline, everyone. There’s so much pressure [when trailing], but we were fired up.”
Standing on the sideline after the game, Friends Academy coach Edgar Posada smiled wide as his players ran across the field one more time to celebrate with their classmates who had finally returned to the bleachers.
“This group is special. It really is,” coach Posada says. “And the fans have a really good connection with this team. They love the team. This is what happens when you have that kind of relationship with your fans.”
Instagram video by Alvin Caal / Friends Academy