Johnson boys soccer team blasts Pickens 8-1, advances to 2nd round of Class AAAA playoffs - Gainesville Times

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Johnson boys soccer team blasts Pickens 8-1, advances to 2nd round of Class AAAA playoffs

Fabian Abarca scores four goals to lead Knights to opening round win

Johnson's Fabian Abarca (7) pushes the ball in towards the goal while being guarded by Pickens County's Sky Diprima (5) during Wednesday's game in the opening round of the Class AAAA state tournament at Johnson High. - photo by Erin O. Smith

0430JOHNSON 0001 — Johnson's Fabian Abarca (7) pushes the ball in towards the goal while being guarded by Pickens County's Sky Diprima (5) during Wednesday's game in the opening round of the Class AAAA state tournament at Johnson High. - photo by Erin O. Smith

For Brian Shirley’s deep Johnson team, the experiment worked. The head coach started three freshmen, including Marcos Vazquez as a striker alongside regular Fabian Abarca, and used senior Fernando Carrillo as a left winger in Wednesday’s 8-1 rout of Pickens in the first round of the Class AAAA playoffs. Vazquez repaid his coach’s faith by scoring twice in the one-sided affair, while Abarca netted four goals, including a hat-trick in the opening 24 minutes.

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