Six different Catawba Ridge Copperheads players scored goals Tuesday night as they routed visiting York Comprehensive High School 9-0 at The Pit in Fort Mill.
Senior Nate Clark, sophomore Evan Serkin and sophomore striker Joshua White all scored two goals apiece in the one-sided contest as unbeaten Catawba Ridge improved to 9-0-2 on the season. The Copperheads are 2-0 in Region 3-4A play.
Midfielders Dylan Dority and Dalton Bailey also tacked on goals of their own, while starting goalkeeper Andrew Reinhardt scored an audacious free kick as an outfield player.
Head coach Phillip McCarter said he was able to sub in all of his available players and give them valuable game minutes.
“Our team is very balanced,” McCarter said. “Obviously, there’ll be a time when the bench needs to step up. We’ve already seen it a little with injuries, but obviously in a game like this, we need to manage minutes, not get anyone hurt, share the time, and let the kids have a little fun.”
The team entered Tuesday’s game fresh off a 2-0 road win against region rival South Pointe, and showed no signs of rust. Clark opened the scoring after just six minutes gone in the first half. Derek Ringnalda played Clark into the penalty box, and Clark was able to sweep the ball home past Cougars goalkeeper Wyatt Johnson.
About 10 minutes later, Dority made a similar pass through the middle to find White just 10-yards out. White was able to slot the ball through Johnson’s legs to make it 2-0.
Serkin made it 3-0 Copperheads when he got on the end of a long cross from the right wing, and finished with skill at the far post.
McCarter was able to find game time for both of his backup goalkeepers as he subbed out starter Reinhardt and gave minutes for backups Antonio Pantigoso and Matthew Carlyon.
Dority made it 4-0 Copperheads just two minutes into the second half with his low short from the left wing. Bailey let fly from 25-yards out just four minutes later and scored to make it 5-0. Bailey’s powerful strike was too much for Johnson to keep out, despite his best efforts.
Joshua White controlled a cross from the corner and struck a sixth goal for Catawba Ridge just before the hour mark. A few minutes later, Reinhardt, now playing in the field, took and converted a free kick from 18-yards out to make it 7-0 in the 64th minute.
Clark and Serkin both added their second goals in the final five minutes, giving the Copperheads their largest win of the season.
In all, Catawba Ridge totaled 25 shots, including 13 on target, with nine corners.
Catawba Ridge will welcome region opponent Lancaster to The Pit Friday before heading back on the road March 23 to face Indian Land in the region matchup.
McCarter said his team is looking forward to testing their mettle on the road next Tuesday against fellow region foe Indian Land.
He said the game will be played on natural grass, rather than turf like the Copperheads are more used to. McCarter said his team practiced on grass before the South Pointe game, and that helped the team get used to the conditions.
“It’ll be tough,” McCarter said of the Indian Land game. “We’ve got to bring our ‘A’ game for that.”
Girls Soccer
The Catawba Ridge also beat York 12-0 with Emma Sexton leading the Copperheads with four goals. Adrienne Cooper and Sadie Commerford each scored twice as well. Sarah Sexton, Kyleen Bents, Jordyn Pieper, and Nora Pampreen each scored a goal as well. The team improved to 4-0 and will play again Friday at Lancaster.
Boys Lacrosse
Nation Ford lost 19-9 to JL Mann at home Tuesday and fall to 5-2 on the season. They are scheduled to play again at Eastside Thursday.
Golf
The Fort Mill boys golf team finished 15th out of 28 teams at the Bengal Invitational and were led in a wet second round by Griffin Tarver, who shot a 74. Tarver finished 16th out of 112 players individually.
