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School Sports
Relaxed Lady Warriors thump Rockingham, 5-1 By Tom Ham | Senior Staff Writer Hunt High struck for three goals in the first 15 minutes, then shifted into a relaxed mode in ousting visiting Rockingham County, 5-1, in the opening round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association 3-A girls soccer playoffs on a gorgeous Wednesday afternoon. The Lady Warriors, regular-season and tournament champions from the Eastern Carolina Conference, reached the magical 20-victory plateau against two losses. Hunt plays at home against the Havelock-Grays Creek winner in the second round, and head coach Drew Nick anticipates that match being contested Saturday. Rockingham County, a wild-card selection after finishing sixth in the Triad Conference, exited with a 9-10-1 mark. From the early barrage, the Lady Warriors forged a 4-0 halftime cushion and owned a 5-0 advantage before the Lady Cougars scored their goal with approximately 25 minutes remaining. "It made us overconfident," active junior defender Alison Ellis said of Hunt's early success. "We were nervous the first two or three minutes because they had a couple of good chances. But after the penalty kick (third goal), we started getting a little lackadaisical." Sophomore midfielder Brittany Raper knocked in Hunt's first goal on an assist from freshman midfielder Alex Hall. Next, sophomore forward Allyson Fulghum finished after an assist from junior midfielder Katie Wilson. Freshman forward Ashley Batchelor connected on the penalty kick after a handball infraction against the Lady Cougars. "The girls played very well," he assessed. "What threw us a little out of sync was rotating the girls in and out. But it was time to enjoy the game of soccer and get everyone in and out." In the closing seconds of the first half, senior defender Whitney Hesmer served the ball to the speeding Hall, who outran her defenders and beat junior Rockingham goalkeeper Lindsey Harrell, who spent a busy afternoon. The Lady Warriors wrapped up their scoring in the opening moments of the second half. Batchelor fielded a cross from Raper and blasted a shot over the outstretched Lady Cougars' keeper. Hunt registered a 20-9 margin in shots and its defense, keyed by Ellis, Hesmer and hustling freshman Taylor Dail, kept senior goalkeeper Monica Campbell relaxed until the final 30 minutes. Lady Cougars freshman forward Kristine Williams laced a shot off the crossbar. Williams and junior forward Casey Kenealy failed on rebound attempts before Rockingham avoided a shutout off a corner kick. Senior co-captain Kayleigh Williams drilled the accurate shot. "We overcompensated," Ellis explained. "We had too many to one side and she beat our defense. It was a good shot." Rockingham head coach Reg Gentle congratulated Hunt. "They deserved to win," he contended. "They have a lot of skills they didn't need to show today. Their perseverance, a lot of talking and teamwork. They were a pleasure to watch at times but, unfortunately, we were playing them. "At times, we played the game like we know how to play it but, at times, we looked tired." However, Gentle did not blame the sluggishness on the trip of 21/2 hours but, instead, the late status of a long season. Nick explained Hunt will have accomplished every preseason goal with a second-round victory. "The first round is over," he commented, "and we're prepared. We have been looking for this part of the season _ and we're here." And Ellis is convinced the Lady Warriors can advance well beyond the second round. "We played pretty well, but we were up and down," she noted. "But in the playoffs, you need to step up. We can't have lapses like we had today. Not every game is going to be like this." hammer@wilsontimes.com | 265-7809
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