When the Kettle Run and Brentsville District soccer teams collided this season, they guaranteed fans a fight to the finish, even if the finish came later than expected.

One goal apart separated the Cougars and Tigers when they met up on the Prince William side of Nokesville April 9 as senior Trey Bright hooked up with junior forward Zach Willis for the game's lone score during Brentsville's 1-0 victory.

Kettle Run responded three weeks later by coming back from a 2-0 halftime deficit to force overtime and eventually win 3-2 on a goal by captain Casey Cooke.

Last Thursday at BDHS, the teams played the same thrilling story with a homefield conclusion that left Tiger fans cheering and the orange and white mobbing each other on the field as Brentsville eked out its second 1-0 victory over Kettle Run. Tiger fans fell on hard times Monday though when the boys bowed out in the first round of regions on OT against Western Albemarle, losing 3-1 in penalty kicks.

After the close win over KRHS, second-year Brentsville coach Nate Nemerow

remarked, "I'll take that any day. We knew it was going to be a battle."

"I'll take that any day," said second-year Brentsville coach Nate Nemerow. "We knew it was going to be a battle."

About six minutes into the second half, Brentsville found itself with a golden opportunity as Willis set up a corner kick on the south end of the field, launching his shot from the post closest to the Brentsville stands. Brentsville senior Cameron Findlay found himself on a collision course with the ball to Kettle Run goal keeper Ryan Schmidt's left side. The 6-foot-4 forward smacked the ball with his head off the inside of the goal post, causing it to clip the iron and careen into the net.

"I was just trying to get loose and I got loose," said Findlay.

He explained that Willis saw him open from the side and, given that Findlay's one of the tallest players on the field, "he knows I'm good with my head."

Nemerow called goal set up a "gutsy play" given the level of contact that goes on in front of the goal box on corner kicks.

"We wanted it, we were pushing it and we kind of threw ourselves (in front) of it with reckless abandonment," said the coach.

Roughly 13 minutes later, the game's intensity began running higher as the clock ticked toward the 21 minute mark. An elbow from Kettle Run that connected with the back of the head from one Tiger player drew a yellow card.

Kettle Run's defense then blocked off a series of Tiger attacks on goal with Schmidt blocking a shot from Dylan Mohammed, only to set up a corner kick that Schmidt easily caught with 19:30 remaining.

Brian Fleury and Daniel Patti teamed up to block another Tiger charge, though when Bright recovered a loose ball, he hustled through the Cougar backfield only to shoot wide-left, causing him to throw his and on the back of his head in anguish with 16 minutes to go in the game.

The Cougars surged on an offensive opportunity of their own when Reid Turnure and Louis Petropulos put pressure on Brentsville keeper Hunter Mihalick. Like Bright, however, the shot from Petropulos missed wide right, keeping the Cougars down one point inside the 14 minute mark.

"I think we tried to (apply) pressure the entire game," said Kettle Run captain Andy Bourdeau.

However, the junior noted that the heat caused play to slow down at times. It also appeared to help cause tensions between the two squads to boil over too.

When the clock struck 4:26, players from both teams earned red cards over a shoving match, which also disqualified the individuals from participating in the first round of regions.

In the end, Bourdeau mentioned that the Cougars "just couldn't finish on our opportunities," forcing the Cougars to accept their fourth shutout of the season when they're equally used to shutting out other teams.

"We're eager to get a win," he added, "because we think we can compete."

According to Findlay, Kettle Run "got a great start but we were able to outlast them."

Nemerow said he hoped the Cougars would be successful through the regional playoffs along with his own team so they can meet again for the Region II title, , though the boys lost their chance for that on Memorial Day.

"For my money, they're one of the best in the state," said the Brentsville coach.