Rivera gained possession of the ball at a typically non-threatening offensive position, but he didn’t seem to care. Rivera got off a laser beam of a shot from 25 yards out that beat Hewlett goalkeeper Ronie Morales to the top right corner. The Spartans tied the game at one, and despite having opportunities, were unable to take the lead in regulation. 

Both coaches said they did not want the game to be decided on penalty kicks, especially Lacetera, who was confident in his team’s chances during overtime. “I thought we dominated offensively,” he said. “We definitely had a lot more chances than they did.” Hewlett’s season ended the next day at the hands of No. 8 South Side, 3-0, in the semifinals.

For North, the loss in the quarterfinals was tough to take. 

“It hasn’t hit me yet,” Aguado said of the loss. “I wish we could’ve kept going.”