Eagles soccer bounces back with shut-out wins

By Todd Pridemore

Earlier this month the Southern Boone boys soccer team suffered three straight defeats at the feet of a trio of strong programs: Perryville (7-0), Marshall (8-1), and Sedalia Smith-Cotton (8-2).

The Eagles bounced back with a 9-0 mercy rule victory over the Belle Tigers (0-4) on Sept. 16. As a small Class 1 school, Belle was not only a decided underdog on the pitch, but had to play the match with only ten players due to illness.

In the fourth minute, Brayden Watson fed the ball through the Tigers defense, where Titus Pridemore opened the scoring floodgates. Miles Butler made it 2-0 when he scored after defender Jackson Fischer delivered the ball to him near the left side of the box. Alex Sachs added the third goal on a one-touch shot that came after Butler pushed a square pass across the box. Butler then scored on his own at the midpoint of the opening half to make the score 4-0.

Pridemore scored again when Ayden Hernandez delivered the ball to him at the right post. One minute later, midfielder Avery Aholt netted a goal when Butler sent a pass from the right side of the box to the left post. A Blake Nichols corner kick led to a score by Watson 24 minutes in, and Watson scored later to extend the Eagles lead to 8-0 with 8 minutes remaining in the first half.

The final goal came in the 33 minutes in when Mason Baker linked up with Corbin Novinger, who fed the ball to Jadyn Whitt for the shot and score. Goalkeepers Sam Rueter and Cullen Galloway combined for the shutout.

On Sept. 18, the Eagles faced a more formidable opponent when the Christian Fellowship Knights (6-3) came to Ashland. During the opening 25 minutes of action, the play seemed more like a tennis match as the ball moved back and forth on the field and teams traded possession frequently.

The high pressing defense of the Knights led to a multitude of offside penalties for the Eagles throughout the evening. However, that press ultimately became the visiting team’s undoing as the speedy Southern Boone forwards eventually took control. At 29 minutes in, Butler gained possession of the ball near midfield and carried it through the defense on his own before scoring from the left side of the box.

The 1-0 lead remained until the second half, when Sachs sent a pass through the defense that Butler ran onto and finished for his second goal. At 69 minutes in, Watson controlled the ball near midfield and delivered the ball to Butler, who quickly attacked the right side of the goal, but dropped a soft pass to the left that Hernandez ran onto for an easy goal. That same Butler to Hernandez combination linked up again with just under five minutes remaining to make the final score 4-0.

Rueter tallied seven saves in goal for the Eagles. Southern Boone’s record moved to six wins and four losses.