By KEVIN ECKLEBERRY

Daily News

The Callaway Cavaliers got a goal from Tyler Lewis in the final two minutes to edge the visiting Troup Tigers 3-2 on a rainy Friday evening.

It was a hard-fought, back-and-forth soccer match, with Callaway walking away with its first victory of the young season.

“It seemed like it was a typical Troup, Callaway game,” said Callaway head coach Mike Petite said. “It was an intense affair, it was physical, it was well-played. It was an excellent game played by both sides.”

It was deadlocked at 2-2 when Lewis came through with the game-winning goal, and Callaway’s defense made that lead stand up.

“It’s a big step forward for us as a young team,” Petite said. “We’ve been going at it for a month. A month in, and to be faced with a challenge like Troup, a rivalry game, a passionate game, and to stand tall and go back-and-forth and to be able to keep going, you take away so much.”

Callaway’s Joe Neese scored six minutes into the game, and that was the only goal of the first half.

Early in the second half, Troup tied it when Sam West scored off of a corner kick.

One minute later, Troup was called for a foul on Lewis, and Michael Everett made the penalty kick to give Callaway a 2-1 lead.

That’s the way it remained until, with 10 minutes to play, Troup’s Helsyn Martinez scored off a corner kick to tie it.

With the clock winding down, Lewis delivered the game-winner for the Cavaliers.

Goal keeper Josh Cooprider came up big for the Cavaliers with 10 saves.

Petite also credited the crowd with giving his players a lift.

“That really helped out our boys tonight,” Petite said. “I can’t say enough about the crowd, and the energy.”

In the girls’ game, it was all about the defense, with Callaway and Troup fighting to a scoreless tie.