The fast and furious pace of high school soccer is back for another season, and the Houston County High Bears program may have lost one of the great goal scorers in state history (not to mention a Gatorade Player of the Year), but Jason Kirk’s club is off to a start that’s keeping it in the state rankings.
No. 5 Houston County improved to 3-0 Tuesday and won its first 2-AAAAA sub-region match at home topping a game effort from Northside High 4-1. The Bears had just one goal in the first half on a rare pleasant night in late February, but then senior Cristian Medina punched in two second-half penalty kicks.
In that first half, just over five minutes into play, junior Heath Henry had the ball in the middle of the field. He passed it to the right wing where junior Tucker Mercier kicked to the back of the net.
Houston County kept on the attack, and Kirk had a good play on the defensive line from junior back Tim Freeman. He, just over a minute after the goal, sent the ball in to be worked by Henry and Medina. Their shot was blocked, and a rebounding effort from Carlos Aguilera was saved by the Northside keeper.
The Eagles were able to threaten with close throw-ins, and junior goalkeeper Declan Furlough made his first save at the 29-minute mark.
The pace of the match was so quick that as Henry was denied a shot attempt in the penalty box, Freeman was soon defending the ball in the opposite corner for a goal kick at 26 minutes until halftime.
Senior George Slaughter also made an impact in the Bears defense, clearing away Northside’s free kick following a foul at 20:55. Aguilera drew a foul a couple of minutes later – about 45 yards away – and Medina’s free kick crossed towards Slaughter for a header that was stopped.
As the half went under 17 minutes, and sophomore Clayton Martin cleared a close throw-in, senior striker JaVaughn Todd charged against three Eagles. Northside was able to avoid Todd’s further attack, but the ball went to junior Zach Rush for a saved shot. Mercier, however, took the ball down the right side for a shot hit out for a corner kick.
With a 1-0 score, the rest of the half was evenly played as Martin and Slaughter got the ball out of Northside’s attacking zone at the 12-minute mark. The Bears didn’t get another good look until the final two minutes when Medina passed the ball to his right to Mercier on a charge. He missed wide of the net, and Freeman and Slaughter put in a lot of last minute defensive work to take the match into halftime.
Houston County controlled play to start the second half with free kicks, corners and throw-ins. Aguilera maintained possession at midfield often, and when the ball went its furthest the other way Freeman drew a foul. He delivered a crushing set piece with a bounce the Eagle keeper had to catch facing the net.
Todd’s footwork drew a foul seven minutes in and outside the box on the right side. Medina’s pass to Slaughter inside somehow missed scoring, and Todd missed wide on the rebound. Medina, two minutes later, took a 30-yard plus free kick off a hand ball that was saved.
The half went under 29 minutes when Freeman stole the ball in the opposite corner. Henry, Rush and senior Peyton Craven worked the ball setting up a goal for Henry at 27:54 (2-0).
Houston’s pressure kept working as Medina pushed the ball right for a pass and shot from Todd (blocked). Todd charged again into the box and was fouled by the keeper with 25:07 to play. Medina set up and connected the penalty kick for 3-0.
Todd’s activity never stopped as long as he was on the field, pushing the ball at the 24-minute mark. That led to a corner kick, but Henry’s pass to Slaughter was saved.
It was at 19:26 that the work of Todd, Rush and Medina caused the next foul in the box. Medina scored the second PK.
Northside’s goal was made at 11:49.
LADY BEARS WIN
Kirk is no longer pulling the double-duty in Houston County High varsity soccer coaching. Eric Devoursney is now in charge of the Lady Bears program, and with the new coach there is also some new players on varsity led by freshman forward Stevie Rigby.
Rigby’s two goals helped the Lady Bears improve to 2-1 Tuesday when they shut out visiting Northside High 4-0 in the first 2-AAAAA sub-region match.
Much like what would happen in the boys match to follow, Houston County’s girls only led 1-0 at the half. The two Rigby goals were tallied in the second half. But the freshman, in just the first minute of regulation, stole the ball and took the first shot on goal saved by Northside’s Layne Haring.
Haring also saved a pin-point range shot from junior Deja Wilson when she and Rigby controlled 50-50 action at 36:10. However, at 33:07, Houston grabbed the 1-0 lead as Wilson passed to senior Raviaen Rapier on the left wing.
Northside’s defense was able to hold Houston to long shot attempts outside the box for most of the first half. Olivia Lunceford’s pass to Wilson resulted in a high shot (31:07), as did Emily Burgess’ pass to Shannon Walsh.
Rigby got back into the flow as the half went under 29 minutes. She went one-on-one with Lady Eagle senior Paige Ringer. As she fell, it was Val’Dazia Todd taking the shot missing outside.
Pacing the Northside defense were freshmen Emily Suarez and Sierra Ingram and senior Alyssa Barton.
Houston was getting corner kick tries from their attacks, like one from Lunceford at the 21-minute mark. As the ball ricocheted around the box, Lunceford herself took the ball only to miss high.
Haring pulled off more saves as well, two big ones coming with under 18 minutes to go. She slid to stop one shot and denied Rapier at close range. But Bears keeper Brooke Neville, a senior, only had to touch the ball once all half, and Jasmine Westbrook on the defense helped keep Neville from save chances.
Ringer was helpful to Haring’s game as she got to Rigby’s push at the nine-minute mark. Rigby also took on senior Brianna Bowman, leading to a corner with six minutes before the half.
Georgia Bostic, Lady Bear junior, had a pair of chances early in the second half, one being blocked by Bowman. Rigby, at 37:26, took her first shot of the half saved by Haring. But as the freshman attacked down the left baseline, her shot slipped in for 2-0 at 36:11.
It didn’t take long, to 35:15, for the Lady Bears to lead 3-0. Wilson settled the ball from about 20 yards away and scored.
Houston senior Brianna Gomez took her first shot after winning a 50-50 at 34:30, but Haring made the save. Ringer also recorded a solid block a few minutes later. Bostic’s long angling effort was saved with 30 minutes to play, and under the 28-minute mark – from a corner kick – Haring stopped the chip effort of Bostic.
To score a second time, Rigby took two swipes at a sent-in corner kick and connected with less than 22 minutes remaining.
Houston County didn’t take a goal kick in the match until 18:40, and the first save for back-up keeper Marissa Molnar was at 4:51. Haring made six more saves, including one from Bostic as Rigby chased the ball down the sidelines.
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