Under the most pressure one can face on a soccer pitch, Emily Spears shot the perfect penalty into the top left corner of the goal and immediately felt the relief that came along with it. It was not long after that shot she realized what it meant for Elmore County.

Spears’ goal secured a penalty shootout victory against Holtville in the Class 4A/5A Section 4 rivalry match. After seeing her shot hit the back of the net, she turned to see her entire team storming the field to meet her to celebrate.

Caleb Turrentine is a sports writer for Tallapoosa Publishers Inc.