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Tuesday, March 21 -- The Rockbridge County High School boys soccer team struck for three early goals in claiming a 3-1 win over visiting Fort Defiance.
Jorge Martinez, Cole Boller-Pinkham and Brian Kendall all scored inside the opening 11 minutes as the Wildcats (1-2) blitzed the Indians in the opening stages of the match. Will Brooks pulled a goal back for Fort midway through the first half, but chances were otherwise at a premium for the visitors as RC avenged a 2-0 road loss from just five days earlier.
Martinez got the Wildcats started, collecting John Huss' pass from inside the 18-yard box and producing a tidy finish for a 1-0 lead just over five minutes in.
Following a Fort foul inside the area, Boller-Pinkham converted a penalty kick in the 10th minute. Only seconds after the ensuing kickoff, Kendall scored from Boller-Pinkham's cross for a 3-0 advantage.
Brooks' goal in the 21st minute was a beautiful curling strike from just over 20 yards out. But the Wildcats maintained control for most of the game, outshooting the Indians 22-12 -- including a 9-5 edge in chances on goal -- and holding a 6-0 advantage in corners.
John Lindberg made four saves for RC, while Grayson Sheets and Jose Morales combined to record six stops for Fort.
The Wildcats will entertain James River on Friday, starting with the junior varsity contest at 5:30 p.m.
