Few rivalries in the Big Bend compare to Leon and Chiles soccer.

On Wednesday night, the district rivals gave us another classic entry to the storied rivalry as the Timberwolves beat Leon on a last-minute goal from freshman Salvatore Giove. In a match that hung in the balance for the majority of play, both Leon and Chiles had opportunities to pull ahead before the last-gasp winner.

Leon's Donovan Shumate was the closest to scoring for the Lions, with his two free kicks threatening the Chiles goal, with one going wide and the other saved. The win boosts Chiles to 8-3-1 on the season and the Lions fall to 9-7, and Timberwolves head coach Bryan McDonald said the team's desire to find the late winner comes from his squad's collective mentality.

"One of our sayings is win with 25, lose with 25. So, they know that if we come together as a group, good things will happen for us," McDonald said. "They know that if they work hard, they do the right things, then success can follow."

Playing one of the most difficult schedules in the state, ranked in the top 10 hardest schedules in Florida by MaxPreps, the Timberwolves have navigated the challenges well. Facing teams like Arnold, the top-ranked team in the nation, Mandarin and Gulf Breeze, both top 25 teams in the nation, Chiles has stacked its schedule in hopes of preparing for a deep playoff run.

"When we sat down and did the schedule before the season, one of the things that we talked about was let's make a frickin tough schedule," McDonald said. "To go through those tests day in, day out, it only makes us stronger as a group. It puts us in playoff environments and feelings more often. So when push comes to shove, we're used to the fight."

Setting the tone for the future

The Timberwolves have a balanced squad, with a solid amount of seniors and juniors leading a group of young players. McDonald feels that a veteran core mixed with some exciting young players, like Giove, help the team find different ways to win.

"The young guys give us something a little bit different," McDonald said. "They're always super energetic, there's always a spark with them and the older guys welcomed them into the program."

With the tough schedule and games like Wednesday night's matchup with Leon, McDonald feels those moments will help build his younger players' confidence and understanding of what the program wants.

"It's a good thing because it's something to build off of for that group. They know what the expectations and standards are early on," McDonald said. "When it comes to be their turn, when they're the older guys and everyone's looking up to them, they've got the experience to pass along."

On the flip side, Leon is on an upward trajectory. Even in the defeat to Chiles, the Lions have shown clear improvement over last season.

First-year head coach John Holgan has already improved the win total from last season, finishing 8-10-4, and has the Lions going toe-to-toe with some of the state's top teams. Led by Shumate and Gideon Sheets, the Lions are a threat to win the district and potentially go head-to-head with Chiles in the tournament.

Wednesday roundup

Boys soccer

Maclay 8, Community Christian 0

Stat leaders: Luke Daunt 3 goals. Santi Nunez 2 goals, 1 assist. Zach Ghazvani 2 assists. Ellis Strickland 1 goal. Gavin Slocum 1 goal, 2 assists. Tyler Keller 1 goal, 2 assists.

Girls soccer

Taylor County 8, Hamilton County 0

Stat leaders: Emma Kirkland 3 goals, 1 assist. Autumn Young 1 goal, 1 assist. Hannah Harvey 1 goal. Alana Hall 1 goal. Mallory Folsom 1 goal. Macy Dean 1 assist. Georgia Miller 1 goal.

Munroe 3, Franklin County 2

Boys basketball

Rickards 76, Chiles 58

Florida High 75, Godby 49

Munroe 58, St. John Paul II 49

Karlton Knight: 13 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists

Leith Kenon: 13 points, 7 rebounds

JJ Clayton: 9 points, 20 rebounds

Girls basketball

Godby 65, Gadsden County 15

Chiles 29, Leon 24

Liam Rooney covers preps sports for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at LRooney@gannett.com or on Twitter @__liamrooney

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Chiles boys soccer beat Leon after last second winning goal