The Catawba Ridge Copperheads jumped out to an early lead and cruised to a 14-3 win over the Fox Creek Predators to pick up their second win on the season.
The Copperheads are now 2-1 on the young season and will get some experience back, as the team is looking to grow this year after only getting seven games in last year before the season was cancelled because of the coronavirus.
“It feels pretty good having some experience coming back,” said Copperheads’ head coach Mike Gambrill.
Gambrill said the injury bug has already bit some people on the team, but he is hopeful that they will have the players they need as the season progresses.
“We are piecing it together,” he said. “The next couple weeks will be key for us. It will be a true test to see where we are at.”
Catawba Ridge certainly didn’t have to piece anything together Monday against Fox Creek. The Copperheads were led by Avery Gordon, who scored four goals, to go with three goals from Ryan Michels and Adam Christenberry. Luke Peterson scored two goals and Colbyn King and Jake Livingston each added a goal as well.
Peterson got the scoring started 52 seconds into the game and a minute later Michels scored the first of his three goals. King put Catawba Ridge up 3-0 with just under seven minutes left in the first quarter and Gordon scored the first of his four goals with five minutes left in the quarter. Christenberry and Livingston each scored a goal in the quarter as the Copperheads took a 6-0 lead after the first quarter.
Catawba Ridge added four more goals in the second quarter and Fox Creek got on the board with about seven minutes left in the first half. The Copperheads took a 10-1 lead into the half as Michels scored his third goal of the game with 4:53 left in the half to get a hat trick.
The scoring slowed in the second half for Catawba Ridge as they added just three goals in the third quarter and one in the fourth.
Gambrill said he is liking what he is seeing from his team as long as they can stay healthy.
“I have seen a lot of progress,” he said. “We are trying to build a culture and a program.”
Catawba Ridge is scheduled to be back in action Saturday at home against JL Mann.
Fort Mill girls stay undefeated, Falcons drop first match
The Fort Mill girls’ lacrosse team beat Lake Norman High 15-10 to move to 2-0 on the season. The Jackets are scheduled to play again March 4 at Clover in their first Region 3-5A game of the season.
The Nation Ford girls’ lacrosse team dropped its first match of the season 13-10 to Providence Day. They are now 3-1 on the season and are scheduled to play next at Boiling Springs March 5 to open region play.
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
