mbrown@sunmulti.com
Before Monday’s story was about severe weather, Perry High and Peach County High managed to get in half of a scheduled soccer doubleheader. It was good news for the host Lady Panthers with a 2-0 shutout for the season’s fifth victory.
Perry’s boys team, however, only played 12 minutes of the first half before officials stopped action due to the incoming storms. The Panthers were leading 1-0.
Junior Sarah Whiddon scored first for the Lady Panthers from a crossing pass by junior Laena Morgan. Whiddon took the shot from about 15 yards away, and it was the only point of the first half at 26:34.
Perry’s defense gave a solid effort in the time leading up to the goal. That work came from multiple sources, like freshman Kaitlyn Moss, Whiddon, freshman Britney Wilson and senior Tiana Ortiz.
The first shot on goal for the Lady Panthers was at the 31-minute mark. Peach County had the save, and in the following minute Mary Jan Lollis, a senior in the backfield, had to do a lot to break up an attack from the visiting Lady Trojans.
After Perry went up 1-0 lead, Peach went on a charge from the kickoff. Lollis again was there to kick the soccer ball away. The Lady Trojans didn’t make anything of the ensuing corner kick.
One more freshman, midfielder Mattie Hamilton, stood out in the first half playing both ways. Peach County continued to push the ball on the Lady Panther defense, and with 17 minutes to go Lollis and Moss played together to protect senior goalkeeper Debbie Velazquez.
It was at the 14-minute mark that Velazquez recorded her first save. Lollis broke up two more attacks in the 31st minute, and Velazquez’s second save was at 8:13. One of the toughest kicks for a keeper to defend is the high-arcing shot, and Peach tried one on the keeper in the final minute. Velazquez stopped it, though, to preserve the shutout at halftime.
The second half was mainly about Perry’s possession domination. It began, however, with Velazquez’s save on the ground at 38:55. Perry’s first shot came from Ashley Collins on the run, and Peach saved it at 37:32.
As Perry took corner kicks in the second half, it was Hamilton rushing into the box looking for a quick goal. At 31:08, she used her knee but missed the target. Her next try was at 26:13, and she used her head only to miss a second time.
The Lady Trojan keeper made saves against Collins (28:40), Ortiz (28:08) and Ivey Johnson (19:35). Peach’s defense made things tough despite all the challenges it faced, and at 14:20 Collins – a senior – took an onside throw-in by Hamilton for a shot blocked.
With less than 12 minutes to play, Peach was able to get on the attack, but Moss and freshman Savannah Smith defended it well. Not having seen much action, Velazquez was still in the game with a save at 7:54. The rest of her day included three goal kicks and one punt.
Ortiz rushed with the ball down the right sideline and drew a penalty kick with a yellow card at 1:40. Johnson missed the PK high but won the ensuing goal kick. Collins then notched Perry’s second goal at 1:23.
HHJ News
Before the rains fall, Lady Panthers get win
Before the rains fall, Lady Panthers get win
