South Knox opened their home and Blue Chip Conference slate against Northeast Dubois on Saturday in a matchup that quickly proved to be a test of patience, grit, and nerves. The opening half saw chances come sparingly as both sides played cautiously. South Knox enjoyed more of the ball, but the Jeeps’ back line held firm. With 14 minutes left in the half, a challenge from behind inside the box gifted Dubois a penalty kick, which they converted to take a 1–0 lead. The setback jolted the Spartans into action. They nearly equalized six minutes before the break when a short corner from Jakob Graman to Malaki Downen led to a dangerous cross that Ross Holscher met, only for the Jeeps' keeper to make the stop. South Knox’s persistence finally paid off with just 18 seconds remaining in the half: Downen split the defense with a clever through ball to Holscher, who calmly slotted home to level the match at 1–1 heading into the break. From there, the second half was played almost entirely in Dubois territory. In the 46th minute, Graman squared for Holscher in front of goal, but his effort sailed over the bar. Downen followed a few minutes later with a nifty move that turned his defender inside out, before forcing a strong save from the keeper. Levi Loudermilk twice unleashed strikes from distance within a five-minute span, both spectacularly tipped over by the Jeeps’ goalkeeper. Loudermilk then came inches away on a header from a Graman corner with 16 minutes to play, but the Spartans could not find the decisive breakthrough as the match finished 1–1 after regulation. Conference rules sent the game directly to penalty kicks, where the drama escalated. The two teams were deadlocked after five attempts, and remained all square after ten. The shootout marched on to sudden death and, in the third round, Dubois finally found the edge, prevailing 7–6 after 22 spot kicks. South Knox Keeper Blake Sutton had six saves in goal, including a fantastic diving stop to keep his side alive at the end of the first round of penalties. Coach's comments: "We created enough chances to win this game. I thought our composure after conceding a goal and our movement in the second half were excellent, and the boys showed real character to battle back before halftime. Turner Dobbyn and Collin Ellerman were standouts in the back line today. Penalties are always tough, especially in a shootout like that, but all we can do is take the positives and keep building." Next up: The Spartans (0-1-2) continue Blue Chip Conference play at home on Tuesday, September 2, when they host the Rivet Patriots. Kickoff is scheduled for 5:00pm.