FORT GIBSON – With skies that had threatened to open up for much of the game finally erupting into a torrent of rain, Fort Gibson’s Aaron Miller rocketed home the decisive penalty kick, giving the Tigers a 5-4 District 4A-3 win over Wagoner at home on Thursday night.

The Bulldogs (4-1), ranked No. 5 in Class 5A by Okrankings.com, had gone up 1-0 early in the second half on a goal by Aaron Hellinger, but Fort Gibson answered back with two goals of its own to take a late lead. Less than a minute after Aaron Rhoden’s chip into an empty net gave the Tigers a 2-1 advantage, Wagoner’s Julio Aguilar knotted things up, firing in a loose ball to send the game into overtime.

But that just set the stage for Miller. After Anthony Salcido and Casey West both connected on their shots in the fourth round of shooters, Tigers keeper Mike Butler stopped a low line drive shot from Josh Hewitt, giving Miller a chance to net the game-winner.

As Miller lined up his shot, the rain that had been just a sprinkle for much of the contest started to pour down and lightning laced through the skies outside of Fort Gibson’s field. Miller drilled home the game-winner, sending his teammates into wild celebration and fans to their cars.

“The main thing is I’m just excited for our kids,” said Fort Gibson coach Gabe Ellis. “We’ve been right there and we just haven’t been able do it. After (Wagoner) scored to tie it up it was almost like, oh, here we go again. But the kids didn’t give up, they played so hard and I’m just so excited for them.

“We’re 3-4 but I feel like we’re the best 3-4 team in the state right now.”

Fort Gibson takes the field again on Monday at home against Cushing at 5 p.m.

FGHS girls 6,

Wagoner 0

Bailey Brown scored two quick goals – one in the seventh minute and one in the 10th – pushing Fort Gibson to an early lead that it would never relinquish.

Brown’s second goal was assisted by Brennan Miller, who finished off the first-half scoring with just 12 minutes left before the break.

“On the first one I was just trying to play it to the post,” said Brown after the win. “(Darcie) Dieman always crashes down so I was just playing it in, seeing if anything could happen with it.”

Miller wasn’t done, and neither was the rest of the Lady Tigers roster. Miller just missed her second goal four minutes into the second half, finishing a one-on-one with the keeper, sending her rolling shot just left of the post. She got back on the board in the 55th minute, putting a left-footed chip into an empty net from the back of the box as Wagoner’s keeper came out to try and corral a cross.