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The Rockbridge County High School boys soccer team struck for three early goals in claiming a 3-1 win over Fort Defiance in Lexington on Tuesday of last week.
Jorge Martinez, Cole Boller-Pinkham and Brian Kendall all scored inside the first 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 its season opener just five days earlier to earn its first win of the season. Fort ended the week at 1-3.
Martinez got the Wildcats started, collecting John Huss’s 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.
After being shut out by Fort and Staunton in its first two matches, the Wildcats couldn’t have asked for a better start. Having Huss and Kendall – who both missed the first week of the regular season – back on the pitch seemed to be a gamechanger.
“We knew we were going to be able to create some chances, and they did,” RC head coach Scott Youngdahl said. “They shared the ball and created goals. They were just easy passes with good runs and good movement.”
Brooks’s 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.
The second half featured more yellow cards than quality chances – with one glaring exception, when Huss hit the post on an ambitious 45-yard shot from the right touchline.
Huss was sent off in the 78th minute, when he picked up a second yellow card for simulation. RC received a total of four cautions and two Indian players were booked, and each team was whistled for seven fouls after halftime.
But despite the additions to the referee’s notebook, the Wildcats kept Fort’s goal opportunities to a minimum. Goalkeeper John Lindberg totaled four saves for RC, though most were of the routine variety.
“I thought we managed the lead pretty well,” Youngdahl said.
And following a pair of tough results to open the season, the Wildcats got back to full strength – and quickly produced a good result.
“I’m just happy. We had to get that ‘L’ [loss] monkey off our back, and we did,” said Youngdahl, who added that the ’Cats will look to build off the win by “just reminding ourselves by looking at the film and saying, ‘This is how we create.’ No goals in the last two games, and now we’ve got three.”
RC was scheduled to play host to James River on Friday, but that game was postponed due to rain. The Wildcats were slated to travel to Stuarts Draft on Monday, and they’ll visit James River in Buchanan this Friday. After spring break next week, the Wildcats are scheduled to play at Staunton on Monday, April 10, before starting Valley District action at Harrisonburg on Tuesday, April 11. All nights will start with junior varsity action at 5:30 p.m.
