Greenback opens with win at Heritage

By David Shelton
Daily Times Correspondent

The Greenback High School girls soccer team officially started its season Thursday night.

What a beginning it was.

A pair of second-half goals led the Class A Lady Cherokees to a 2-1 road victory in its season opener against Class AAA Heritage.

Midfielder Kayla Gentry opened up the scoring for the Lady Cherokees (1-0) in the second period at the 29:52 mark after receiving a ball on a free kick. Gentry slipped past defenders on the right side of the goal and kicked a hard ball through the hands of Heritage goalkeeper Cassie Camp.

Roughly three minutes later, forward Taylor Oliver drove the ball through the middle of the defense and kicked it into the upper-middle portion of the goal, just beyond Camp's reach, for a 2-0 lead.

Greenback coach Jessica Spafford was nervous but excited at the start of the game. Afterward, she had a look of relief to get the team's first win of the season behind her.

"We have a very experienced team, and they work well together because they have played together since they were in elementary school," Spafford said of the Lady Cherokees, who return eight starters from last season. "They play as a team. There are no individuals here."

The Lady Cherokees' experience showed in the shots-on-goal totals in both halves. The Lady Cherokees outshot Heritage (0-2) in a scoreless first half, 12-9, and held a 9-6 edge in the second. The Lady Mountaineers had most of their shots near the end of the game.

Heritage scored its lone goal with less than two minutes remaining on a penalty kick by senior Anna Vandenhurk.

For a while, Lady Mountaineers first-year coach Lynette Barry had wondered if the lessons she preached after a season-opening, 11-0 loss to Lenoir City had any effect on her players.

"When we went two goals down at Lenoir City, we gave up and it went downhill from there," Barry said. "We talked about not quitting at practice all week, and tonight when we went down by two, we hung in there and were able to come back and make it a game ...

"We are a young team and have a lot to learn, but the difference between tonight's game and our first was night and day."

Heritage will return to action with a home game Monday against King's Academy, while Greenback will play its home opener Tuesday against Tellico Plains.