UPDATED: PHOTOS: Weston Boys Soccer Bounced From Tournament

With a three-goal advantage 13 minutes into the second half, the Watertown High School boys soccer team appeared in firm control of its Div. 3 North Sectional preliminary match against Weston.

But post-season precariousness is always just around the corner, and the 16th-seeded Raiders soon found themselves facing a relentless offensive attack from the 17th-seeded Wildcats. Weston would tally two scores in six minutes, but Watertown prevented the equalizer and captured the contest 3-2.

“It happens all the time,” said Raiders coach Frank Cacia. “It’s not over till it’s over and these guys know it. You give them a goal, the momentum swings, and then you’re battling just to hang on.”

Watertown (6-7-6), which is in the postseason for the first time since 2007, now travels to take on No. 1 Georgetown (14-1-3). The game is slated for 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Weston, meanwhile, exits the tournament with a 3-14-1 record.

“I think the first half, we were very, very nervous,” said Wildcats coach Thomas McEnery. “But for the boys, it was excellent attitude and bravery to come back so late in the game.”

The first portion of the affair had scant fireworks. In fact, it had none until senior Raider Emilio Alvarez booted a beautiful cross from the left corner. The ball sailed to the right side of net where James Garbier went into a low dive, heading the ball in with 43 seconds remaining in the half.

“We’ve worked on it the past couple of days: just getting the ball down the wing, crossing it, and then attacking the net,” said Cacia. “That was a sophomore that made that play.”

Minutes into the second half, the Raiders would augment their lead on a Raffi Chilingaryan penalty shot. Ten minutes later, Vardan Yeghiyan garnered the rebound off a Leslie Tamighang shot and scored giving Watertown the aforementioned three-tally cushion.

The Wildcats’ emerged from offensive impotence at the 63rd-minute mark as Chason Timko scored unassisted. Then in a play that mirrored the Raiders’ first goal, Kyle Kachadurian placed a cross from the left side to Timko, who jumped and headed the ball home. But Watertown’s defense clamped down and the Raiders went on to victory.