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Tiger Cubs win sectional
MOORESVILLE -- After a tough, physical first half where they were able to take a one-goal lead, the GHS boys' soccer team found its stride and scorched the Martinsville Artesians 4-0 to win the Mooresville Sectional. The team advances to the Center Grove Regional Wednesday.
The Tiger Cubs were able to get a two-goal performance from Sonney Basham to help lead the team to victory.
Head coach Dave Lilly said the win was a satisfying one and commended the effort of his junior.
"Yeah. It feels real good," Lilly said of the win. "I told the guys when we got here that three or four to nothing was within our reach. I just think that if played to our capability, that Martinsville wasn't going to pack in, there were going to try to match up and spread the field and give us some room.
"It could have been six today. We had a couple other really nice chances. I have to give Sonney a lot of credit. He was two against one most of the first half, but a lot of that wore them down and we hit paydirt later because they couldn't run anymore," he said.
Unlike Monrovia who packed the middle against the Tiger Cubs in their contest prior, Martinsville played GHS tight, never letting Greencastle seize much of an advantage.
It took the Tiger Cubs until late in the first half to get on the scoreboard. Jon Good used some impressive footwork to keep the ball from going out of bound and was able to send it across the pitch to Brandon Query. Query took aim, fired and buried the ball into the back of the net to put the Tiger Cubs up 1-0 with 2:07 remaining in the first half.
GHS extended its lead with 36:01 when Basham scored his first of two second half goals to Greencastle up 2-0. He added his second goal at the 24:09 mark as he zigzagged around a defender and the keeper to poke the ball in to pad the Tiger Cubs' lead.
After seeing an earlier scoring opportunity sail high, senior Spencer Moore was able to connect on a rebound from a shot by Basham with 19 minutes remaining. Moore's goal gave Greencastle its final point of the night and seal the deal for its sectional win.
"It's exciting. It's the second one we've had so it's exciting," Moore said.
Lilly said the team will be taking the trip to Center Grove Wednesday and believes this time around, his team will have a different mindset.
"We're going to be going to Center Grove for the second time," Lilly said "I felt like we were the best team here last year and we didn't get there. I fee like the team is going to go to Center Grove where it was a new experience for us two years ago having won this game, but we felt maybe a little intimidated over there. That's not going to be the case on Wednesday.
"We've got our sights on going a little bit further. We'll still take it one step at a time," he said.
Moore echoed his coach's excitement of advancing.
"We went there a couple years ago and it was pretty exhilarating," he said. "It will be a lot of big schools, big teams and big competition. Something to look forward to definitely. I'm just excited for the game Wednesday."
According to senior Cody Watson, the team was ready to play before they ever stepped on the pitch.
"It's amazing," he said. "It's what we've been working for all season long. It's just great. The bus ride here, we were all zoned in ready to go and were pumped. Once we got that first goal, we weren't going to look back."
He also acknowledged the team knew it had to set its sights on winning it sectional, but was beginning to prepare for the regional. He said they would have fun with the win, but it would be all business after that.
"We've been looking at it this way, if we get past here, we'll most likely be playing Center Grove at Center Grove. So, that's the mindset we're going to start with from day one. We're going to have fun tonight and celebrate this great win and then tomorrow we'll start focusing in on Center Grove," Watson said.
Senior keeper Kyle Parker had six saves on the day and felt the physicality of Martinsville firsthand. Parker was hit and knocked down early and expected the same kind of game come Wednesday.
"We played well," Parker said. "That was probably the best game we've played so far -- it feels good. I will probably be another physical game. I think we can keep it up."
Greencastle will take on Center Grove Wednesday at 5 p.m.
At Mooresville
Mooresville Sectional
Greencastle 1 3 -- 4
Martinsville 0 0 -- 0
First Half
GHS -- Query 2:07
Second Half
GHS -- Basham 36:01
GHS -- Basham 24:09
GHS -- Moore 19:00