Lady Cougars fall hard at home to OLA

By By Carver Rayburn / staff writer
Feb. 2, 2003
DECATUR The Newton County High School Lady Cougar soccer team did something this year no other team at Newton County has ever done. The Lady Cougars had a winning season, they made the playoffs and they won a playoff game.
All of this came to an end on Saturday to the expense of a 9-0 home loss to defending 1A/2A/3A state champion Our Ladies Academy. Newton County was simply overpowered by the more experienced OLA Crescents.
Newton County finished the season with an 11-6 record.
In the first half of play, the Crescents wasted little time taking care of business. Forward Lauren Rittner took a shot from 10 yards out that found the back of the net just 1:22 into the game.
Newton County goalkeeper Joy Cavenaugh was kept busy all day. OLA took 20 shots on goal in the first half and 38 during the entire game. The final score could have been worse if not for some impressive saves by Cavenaugh. Cavenaugh finished the game with 18 saves.
OLA got on the board again with a goal by Julie Reboul at the 35:44 mark of the first half. On the play, fullback Lauren Forte hit Reboul on a cross in the middle of the box and Reboul sent the ball into the right bottom corner for the goal.
After taking a 4-0 lead into halftime, OLA did not show any signs of letting up with another goal by Julie Reboul at the 28 minute mark to make it 5-0 in OLA's favor.
OLA head coach Danny Owens explained what he was trying to do different in the second half compared to the first half.
OLA continued to put pressure on the Newton County defense and scored two more goals in the final three minutes of play.
Newton County will only lose three seniors of this year's squad in Tiffany Estes, Mandy McGrevey and Jessica Jackson. Coach Bond said that he only expects hi steam to get better.