West girls blank Wesson in playoff

By By Carver Rayburn / staff writer
Jan. 29, 2003
COLLINSVILLE The Lady Knights took care of business with ease in the first round of 1A/2A/3A soccer playoff by posting a 4-0 shutout over the Wesson Lady Cobras. West Lauderdale improves to 11-5-1 on the season.
Despite over half of the team fighting flu-like symptoms, Principal Mike Ethridge said that the team was ready to play.
Ethridge took over the duties as head coach for the evening because Bud Brown was with the boys team in Natchez. Ethridge said that he was glad that he could help and that both teams were in the playoffs.
The Lady Knights didn't waste much time getting on the scoreboard. Freshman Sarah Birmingham put West Lauderdale in the lead with an unassisted goal from 15 yards out with 35 minutes left to play in the first half.
The Lady Knights would get their chances in the next 25 minutes of the first half by taking six shots on goal. A break away on an interception by sophomore Auburn Carlberg at the 13-minute mark saw a shot saved by Wesson goalkeeper, Emmy Joyner.
West Lauderdale continued to attack the box and with 3:02 remaining in the first half, senior Brittany Uhl recieved a pass from seventh grader Rachel Reeves in the box and hit a low-liner in the bottom right corner of the net.
After taking a 2-0 lead into intermission, the Lady Knights started out th esecond half much like they did the first. Just five minutes into the second half sophomore Auburn Carlberg found the back of the net with a shot from inside the goalkeeper's box to extend the lead to 3-0.
Defense and ball control took it stoll on teh visiting Lady Cobras in the second half. Wesson committed six second half fouls and only managed two shots on goal compared to the Lady Knights 10.
After a foul called on Wesson in their own box with 11:40 remaining, West Lauderdale recieved a direct penalty kick. Eighth grader Vanessa Uhl took the penalty kick and launched a shot into the right corner to give WLS a 4-0 lead and seal the victory.
WLS will play on Saturday at either FCAHS or Mercy Cross.