Wildcats sweep Trojans

By By Tony Krausz / assistant sports editor
Dec. 16, 2003
The Meridian High School boys' and girls' soccer teams were able to control the flow of the game in the squads' sweep over the Northeast Lauderdale Trojans and Lady Trojans.
The Wildcats (6-6) notched an 8-2 victory over the Trojans (10-3) in the final game Monday night at Northeast Lauderdale, and the Lady Wildcats (11-4) picked up a 6-0 win over the Lady Trojans (10-2-2) in the opening game of the evening.
In the boys' contest, Meridian High tallied four goals in each half, as the team kept most of the action in Northeast' defensive zone throughout the game.
Wildcats midfielder Steven Cook tallied the first two goals of the game scoring on crossing passes from Philip Sullivan in game's sixth and 12th minutes for a 2-0 lead.
Meridian High's Blake Remy picked up the third goal of the game at the 26-minute mark.
Trojans striker Paul Tate cut the Wildcats' lead to 3-1 in the 27th minute, after receiving a pass from Coleman Hobgood, the senior forward slipped the ball into the left side of the net.
Wildcats forward Micah Hodges answered the goal with 8:49 left in the opening half, scoring off a crossing pass from the right side of the field from defender Deran Wilson.
Wilson tallied a goal 55 seconds into the second on a break away down the right side of the field for a 5-1 lead, and Steven Sollie scored for Meridian High in the 58th minute for a five-goal advantage.
Northeast midfielder Chad Brunson cut his team's deficit to 6-2 in the 65th minute scoring from 18 yards out.
Andrew Watkins tallied a goal for the Wildcats in the 68th minute, and Meridian High's Andrew Gambrell capped the scoring with 5:23 left in the game.
Lady Wildcats goalkeeper Sarah Denham recorded the shutout win stopping 16 shots, as her defense flustered the Lady Trojans attackers throughout the game.
Meridian High's first and third goal of its four-goal first half came after the team's forwards swiped balls off Northeast goal kicks.
Lady Wildcats attacker Kortney Harris scored the first goal by receiving a pass from Jamie Easterwood, who knocked down a goal kick and the ball rolled to Harris' feet.
Harris settled a goal kick just outside Northeast's goal box in the game's 22nd minute and slipped a pass to Erin Ware, who buried the ball in the net for a 3-0 advantage.
Jessica Weathers tallied the second goal of the game with a shot into the left corner, and Sarah King scored with 17:21 remaining in the first half off a pass from Emily Bryan for a 4-0 lead.
Harris struck again for the Lady Wildcats with a goal at the 49-minute mark for a 5-0 lead, and Sarah Hammas capped the scoring with 11:28 left in the game with a shot into the right side of the net.