Pack it up, Pack it in. Let me begin

Photo Credit: Tormenta FC

No, I'm not going to rewrite House of Pain's Jump Around to recap a game where Austin Pack scored a goal. 

I thought about it. I thought really hard about it. But I don't want to go to that well too often. 

 Well that was a heck of a game to miss.

But just because I didn't watch and only saw the highlights isn't going to stop us from writing a (probably) abbreviated post about a thrilling 2-2 draw between Tormenta and Greenville Saturday night.  

While I was out to dinner with my wife, my oldest took his first ever drive by himself after getting his driver's license to Tormenta Stadium for the game.

I asked him what time he was leaving because, well, I'm anxious about him being out on his own. He asked what time the players ran on to the field for warm ups and because I've read the media notes that get sent out, I knew it was 6:47.

"You want to make sure you're there in time for Mason to wave at you, don't you?" I asked. 

He smiled. "Yeah."

If you're watching on TV, we always sit on the far right side of the stadium. The only reason for that is because it's usually away from the rowdier section of the crowd and I feel a little less self-conscious about dictating my notes into my phone while I'm covering the game. What that means is that while most of the early arriving Tormenta fans sit and get to watch the home side warm up, we're on the other end watching the visitors.

But that doesn't mean we go unnoticed. 

I don't know how or why, but at some point early in the season, Tormenta's Mason Tunbridge would run out to start warm ups and look down our way and give us a wave. We'd wave back and then watch the teams go through their pre-game warm ups. 

It's a small gesture on Tunbridge's part, but it's enough of one that my oldest wanted to make sure he was there for it. And he was, so mission accomplished on his part there.

Fast forward to 9:35 p.m. and as my wife and I are finishing up a movie, I get a text from my oldest. 

"Are you watching the game?" he asked.

Now friends, I may not be smart, but I'm not dumb. My wife is not a soccer person and she gives up a lot of her nights so that I can cover Tormenta. So on the night of our 22nd wedding anniversary, I was not about to suggest we curl up on the couch and turn on soccer. 

"No. Your mom wanted to watch a movie," I replied, not letting him know that the movie had just ended and I was dying for an update on the game. (Let's be cool and not share this part with my wife, ok? Thanks everyone.)

Next came the most unexpected text I've ever received from my son. Nothing could have prepared me for the five words that would appear on my phone screen at 9:37 on Saturday night.

"Austin scored to tie it" 

No punctuation. No exclamation points. Just "Austin scored to tie it" like it wasn't the coolest thing ever.

"Turning it on to see highlights" I replied as I immediately pulled up ESPN+ to get to the game and backed up to find the coolest thing ever with Tormenta goalkeeper Austin Pack becoming just the second goalkeeper in USL League One history to score a goal.

"That's my first pro goal," Pack said afterwards. "Probably my first and last." 

I may have spent 30 minutes rewatching this highlight at work on Monday. 

Pack's goal (it's still surreal to write those words) in the 101st minute deservedly gets all the attention, but Makel Rasheed also scored his first professional goal off a header in the 9th minute to open the scoring for South Georgia.

"It's extremely exciting with my first professional goal," Rasheed said. "Since I was a kid I've been dreaming of this and I just want to thank God for the opportunity because six months or eight months ago, I didn't think I was going to be here so I'm just extremely excited." 

Tormenta Manager Ian Cameron said Rasheed, with his height and build, should be a player other teams have to prepare for.

"He's not got many games under his belt as a pro. He's been a pro for a couple of years but because of injuries have held him back," Cameron said. "He should be a threat on set pieces. He should be a guy people are recruiting that people say 'ok, very athletic, very strong in the back, built, and you can look and say ok, he should get six goals a year off set pieces.'" 

In between those two, Greenville obviously scored twice, including a penalty kick that Pack said was his mistake for allowing that penalty to happen. 

While the draw didn't help Tormenta in the standings, all the other teams below the playoff line either came way with a draw or a loss, so South Georgia didn't lose any ground and still sit four points out of the playoff picture. 

They return to action Wednesday at 8 p.m. against FC Naples on a game being broadcast on CBS SportsNetwork.