-
Photo by Christopher Lugo/Staff Highlands senior Reese Schmitt leans back for a shot against Franklin Friday night. Schmitt had two goals on the night.
On Friday night, the Highlands School Lady Highlander soccer team traveled down the mountain and came back with a ‘W’ against Franklin High School, 4-1.
“I think the high press worked,” HS head coach Caleb Brown said. “We didn’t let a lot of gaps get filled in between the midfield, the defense and the strikers. They played with a lot of tenacity until the last 15 minutes, when the legs started getting tired. The whole game was really good.”
Things got started quick for the Lady Highlanders when Hayley Borino connected with Gabriela Diaz in the middle who put it away in the top corner to take the lead 1-0 with 36:48 left in the half.
A couple of minutes later, FHS goalkeeper Ella Brinson had a nice save to keep the ball out of the net.
With 22:53 left in the first half, Franklin’s Lillian Holt had a shot from the 18, but went over the goal.
The Lady Highlanders kept up the pressure on the Lady Panthers with Reese Schmitt making a run on a through ball and chipping it over Brinson, but the Lady Panthers defense was there to clear the ball away.
With 20 minutes left in the half, Borino stole the ball from the Lady Panthers and had a one-on-one situation against Brinson. Borino dribbled around Brinson but was unable to find the back of the net.
Cynthia Rios had a big shot with 14:50 left in the half, but the ball went straight to the Highlands keeper Hayley Small.
With 7 minutes left in the half, the Lady Panthers had a free kick right outside the 18, but the kick went wide left.
To end the half, Reese Schmitt ran down a through ball and put it past Brinson in the bottom right of the goal, to go up 2-0.
Holt started things off in the second half for the Lady Panthers with a shot, but the ball went wide left.
With 32 minutes left in the game, Julia Schmitt had a one-on-one situation with the keeper, but was fouled in the box. Schmitt buried the PK to go up 3-0.
The Lady Panthers kept the pressure on Highlands with a corner, but the header went straight to Highlands’ goalkeeper Ava Schmitt.
A set piece from 32 yards out, added to Highlands’ lead, when Reese Schmitt found the back of the net to make it 4-0.
FHS kept the pressure, with Kaitlyn Riddle connecting on a through ball and putting it in the back of the net to cut the lead and end the scoring effort 4-1.
With the win, the Lady Highlanders are now 1-1 following a loss to Tuscola.
“This season, we are really focused on playing like a team and playing two touch soccer,” Brown said. “We want to play quick soccer. Throw the ball in, get the ball into play as quick as possible, move the ball quickly on the ground and put it in the back of the net.”
With a lot of the Lady Highlanders starting 11 fresh off the basketball season, Brown said they are going to focus heavy on conditioning.
“Basketball and soccer are two totally different sports,” Brown said. “One has a little bit more running. Some of the same skills really do ring true in both games, but we are going to work a lot on our vision on the field, how we move the ball around and always picking our head up and making sure we are making the right pass.”
All of the captains this year on the Lady Highlanders are seniors. Brown said all of the seniors have taken up a leadership role for the team.
“The underclassmen really look up to these girls,” Brown said. “They all work extremely hard. We actually have a couple seniors who haven’t played soccer before, and I really appreciate that, because it is never too late to start. It’s always nice to see girls have that passion and spirit about playing the game.”
The next game scheduled for the Lady Highlanders is tonight, March 17, at 6 p.m., against Swain at home.
- By Christopher Lugo