Action-packed week for varsity soccer teams
Murphy – It was a busy week for the three varsity soccer teams in Cherokee County. Murphy and Andrews saw the field three times and Tri-County Early College had two games, all against Smoky Mountain Conference opponents.
The week was highlighted by Murphy (10-2-1) and Tri-County (0-8) playing each other for the second time this season on Oct. 1.
Their first matchup on Sept. 1 was the first in Murphy’s shutout streak that continue to eight straight games on Oct. 1, when the Bulldogs defeated Tri-County 3-0.
Tyler Payne got the scoring started for the Dogs about halfway through the first half. He was fouled in the goalie box, resulting in a penalty kick. While goalkeeper Julian Arvizu blocked the shot, Payne picked up the rebound to give Murphy a 1-0 lead.
With one second remaining in the first half, Elijah Twiggs found the back of the net on a throw in by his brother Abram. His goal gave the Dogs a 2-0 lead heading to halftime.
With 24:52 remaining in the second half, Andrew White found the back of the net after a corner kick. His goal gave Murphy a 3-0 lead, which is where the score stood until the end of the match, extending the Dogs’ shutout streak to eight games.
Arvizu made 15 saves in the match. Jaguars head coach Chris Blanton said their match against Murphy was probably the best they have played all season, and players are on the rise. The team features 12 players, none who are seniors.
Andrews
The Wildcats (2-6) started their week of road games in Cashiers taking on Blue Ridge Early College.
In the battle of the cats, the Bobcats (4-5-1) defeated the Wildcats 3-1 on Sept. 29. Blue Ridge Early College took an early lead with one goal in the first half. They added two more and Andrews scored one for the Bobcats to win 3-1.
Andrews then traveled to Hayesville to take on the Yellow Jackets on Oct. 1. It was another 3-1 final score as the Wildcats fell to Hayesville.
The Wildcats were back in action the next day as they traveled to Highlands. The Highlanders got the 6-1 win over the Wildcats on Thursday night.
Highlands had three goals in each half, while the Wildcats had a goal in the second half as they suffered their fourth straight loss.
Murphy
The Dogs played their first game of their three-game week on Sept. 29, when they traveled to Hayesville.
Murphy took on the Yellow Jackets (4-3-1) and got the 2-0 win. Andrew White and Nathan Johnson scored goals en route to the Dogs’ seventh straight shutout win.
The Dogs hit the road again Thursday for their first matchup against Swain County (2-9-2). They fought hard and earned their ninth straight shutout with a 3-0 win over the Maroon Devils.
White scored the first goal of the game to give the Dogs the 1-0 lead, where the score stood at halftime. In the second half, White scored his second goal of the game on an assist from Johnson to make it 2-0. To solidify the win, Johnson scored after a pass from Tyler Payne to make it 3-0.
Tri-County
The Jaguars’ only other match during the week was against Swain County as they kicked off their week on Sept. 29.
Swain got the 3-0 win with two of their three goals coming on set pieces. The Maroon Devils started their scored on a penalty kick five minutes into the match.
They added two more goals in the second half. The first coming on a short range free kick and the second coming on a breakaway to win 3-0.
In the match, Arvizu came up big for the Jaguars despite the loss. He made 17 saves and allowed three goals against Swain.
Up next
Murphy will host Andrews at 6 p.m. today. Then Andrews will host Summit Charter, and Tri-County will host Highlands, at 6 p.m. Monday.
Tri-County will then host Summit Charter, while Murphy will travel to Highlands, on Oct. 15, with both matches starting at 6 p.m.