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NEW PORT RICHEY - Landon Donovan isn't the only guy scoring huge, last-minute goals this summer.
While the national soccer star's shot was buried on a decidedly larger stage in South Africa, the goal netted by Gulf High's Travis Jehs in late June on a field in Baton Rouge was similarly important to his respective team.
Jehs scored the game-winning goal for his Under-16 RSL Florida 93 club team during the 102nd minute in overtime against Georgia's Concorde Fire Elite. The victory sealed RSL Florida's U.S. Youth Soccer Region III title and sends the team to Overland Park, Kan., for the National Championships on July 20-25.
"The final game was actually pretty amazing," Jehs said over the phone during a break from his summer soccer camp at USF. "We never played at this level and to be able to win our first year was just absolutely incredible."
Jehs overtime winner came from a volley he struck from about 20 yards out that happened to find its way into the net, he said. The soon-to-be-junior at Gulf High also served the corner kick in the first half that teammate Lakota Thomas finished off.
As if one walk-off goal in a single tournament isn't enough, the score in the finals was actually Jehs' second in four games - and third of the year. Playing in the final game of group play, Jehs bailed out RSL Florida again with a winner in extra time against Oklahoma's TSC 94 Black.
"He's scored some real important goals for us this year," said RSL Florida coach Steve Wolf.
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