Eagles soccer adds two more wins

By Todd Pridemore

In a rematch of last year’s district title game, the Eagles traveled to Moberly on Sept. 8 to take on the Spartans (2-2).

Southern Boone grabbed control in just the 2nd minute, when Miles Butler pushed the ball up the left sideline and sent a pass to the right side of the Moberly box, where Titus Pridemore’s one-touch shot to the left post gave the Eagles the 1-0 advantage. The visiting team doubled its lead halfway through the opening half, when Butler was fouled in the box and Brayden Watson converted the penalty kick.

Southern Boone carried the 2-0 lead into the second period, when an already physical contest became even more chippy and dangerous. Moberly cut Southern Boone’s lead in half with a goal in the 43rd minute, and one minute later the Eagles lost a starting midfielder — Noah Byers — to an injury suffered during a midair collision.

It felt as if the Spartans would find the equalizing goal in the following minutes, but Southern Boone responded with the third and final goal of the match in the 59th minute. Near midfield, Pridemore sent a well-placed through ball into the attacking third of the pitch, where Butler beat a defender to the ball near the right side of the box and buried his shot to the left post. Goalkeeper Sam Rueter and strong play from defenders Zachary Hawkins, Blake Nichols, Jackson Fischer, and Javarion Byers helped the Eagles prevail with the 3-1 victory.

On Sept. 11, Southern Boone traveled south to face Class 1 Eugene (1-3), who is fielding a boys soccer team for the first time in history. The outcome of this match was never in doubt, as the visiting Eagles controlled play throughout. Watson opened the scoring only four minutes into play. During a 10-minute span between the 14th and 24th minutes, Southern Boone added six more goals.

Both Watson and Pridemore tallied three goals a piece in the opening half, earning hat tricks, and Butler tacked on the team’s 7th goal before halftime. Less than four minutes into the second period, Butler fed the ball to senior captain Hawkins, whose strong shot found the back of the net and ended the match by mercy rule. Goalkeeper Rueter recorded two saves in the shutout. The two wins moved Southern Boone’s record to 4-1 on the season.