SHELBY -- Eventually it had to happen -- Forbush's girls soccer team was going to give up a goal.
But surrendering an early score to Shelby in Wednesday night's 2A West championship game only seemed to invigorate the Falcons, who responded with a three-goal barrage of their own before halftime en route to a 4-1 victory.
The impressive triumph over last year's 2A West championship team puts coach Kenan James' group where no other Forbush soccer team has been before. The Falcons will play for the 2A state title this Saturday at N.C. State's Paul Derr Stadium.
The Falcons will face First Flight out of Kill Devil Hills, which knocked off defending champ Cardinal Gibbons 2-1 on Wednesday. The game time has been set for 10 a.m. -- the first of three state championship games to be played at Paul Derr on Saturday.
Forbush will take a 22-3 overall record into the state title contest.
Shelby, which advanced to last year's 2A championship game, scored the first goal Wednesday three minutes into the game. Maggie McDaniel got loose along the right side of Forbush's defense and punched it in -- snapping the Falcons' shutout streak of nine straight games.
But it didn't take too long for the Falcons to respond. Super frosh Jessica Baity answered with two quick goals in a two-minute period midway through the first half. Three minutes after that Audrey Niemeyer booted in another score, stunning the Shelby contingent in attendance.
"I don't think we were shocked by the goal, it just irritated us," James said. "The kids were very determined."
The biggest sequence for Forbush's defense came a few minutes before intermission. Shelby, which had mounted its most serious attacks since the early score, drew a penalty kick opportunity when Patience Smith was taken down inside the box.
But Falcon keeper Courtney Phillips earned her stripes by not only stopping the PK attempt but then blocking a rebound attempt when the Golden Lions crashed the goal after the miss.
The ball went out the back line, but Phillips came up with another save on the opposite side. After yet another Shelby corner, the Falcons cleared the ball to avert the threat.
"We work on PKs every day," James said. "She probably sees 50 PK shots a day."
Niemeyer added the final goal with about five minutes to play in the second half, icing on what has already been a historic season for Forbush soccer.
First Flight is 22-2. The Nighthawks needed a penalty kick goal in the second overtime to beat Swansboro in the 2A East semifinals, then knocked off Gibbons 2-1 on Wednesday night.
Forbush Varsity Girls Soccer 22-3 Overall, 12-0 in Mountain Valley 2A
Feb. 26 at Central Davidson cancelled rain
Feb. 28 Trinity L (1-3)
March 6 CBDS Cougar Invitational: Wesleyan Christian Academy L (0-1)
March 7 CBDS Cougar Invitational: Greensboro Day cancelled rain
March 8 CBDS Cougar Invitational: Cannon School W (2-1)
March 10 West Wilkes W (7-1)
March 11 Elkin W (6-0)
March 13 Starmount* W (8-0)
March 17 Wilkes Central* W (2-1)
March 19 at East Wilkes cancelled rain
March 20 at North Davidson L (1-2)
March 27 Surry Central* W (4-0)
March 28 at Ledford W (7-0)
April 1 at North Surry* W (12-0)
April 3 Ashe County* W (4-0)
April 7 North Wilkes* W (9-0)
April 11 at Starmount* W (13-0)
April 15 at Wilkes Central* W (6-1)
April 21 at West Caldwell W (7-0)
April 22 at Surry Central* W (4-0)
April 24 North Surry* W (6-0)
April 28 at Ashe County* W (6-0)
April 30 at Elkin W (8-0)
May 1 at North Wilkes* W (8-0)
May 9 2A State Playoffs: Brevard W (2-0)
May 14 2A State Playoffs: Hibriten W (2-0)
May 17 2A State Playoffs: Wilkes Central W (1-0)
May 21 2A State Playoffs: at Shelby W (4-1)
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