ELLERBE — A fight for the top spot in the Southeastern Middle School Athletic Conference girls’ soccer standings was on the line Tuesday when the Ellerbe and Rockingham middle school teams met in the northern end of the county.
It would be the host Lady Wildcats who emerged with a victory, defeating the Lady Rockets by a final score of 2-0.
Entering the day, both teams were undefeated on the season, and head coach Derek Anderson’s team would hold Rockingham scoreless after the Lady Rockets had averaged six goals per game in their three prior matches.
Ellerbe eighth grader Nyla Stroman was responsible for both of her team’s goals, finding the back of the net twice in the first half. The Lady Wildcats improved to 3-0, while Rockingham suffered its first loss, and now sits with a 3-1 record.
The Lady Wildcats will look to stay perfect when they travel to Sandy Grove Middle School on Thursday at 4 p.m. Rockingham will also play the Panthers next Tuesday on the road.
Ellerbe boys complete sweep of Rockingham
Completing the sweep of Rockingham was the Ellerbe boys’ soccer team, as the Wildcats rolled to a 5-1 victory following the girls’ game.
The Rockets were also undefeated when the day began, but two goals by Gerardo Aguirre for the Wildcats helped snap the streak. Ellerbe would find the back of the net first, and eighth grader Aiden Mabe scored the equalizer for the Rockets to make it a 1-1 score at halftime.
In the second half, Ellerbe found success four more times. Aside from Aguirre’s second goal, Daniel Jaimes, Henry Zapata and Julian Cline beat Rockingham’s keeper for goals.
Head coach Jimmy Chavez’s Wildcats improved to 2-1 on the season, while Daniel Webb’s Rockets fell to 3-1. Both teams will play Sandy Grove next.
Hamlet soccer teams split against Sandy Grove
The Hamlet Middle School girls’ soccer team earned its second win of the season Tuesday, defeating Sandy Grove Middle School 3-0. Jenna Gardner netted two goals in the win, while Sheccid Heaton took advantage of a penalty kick for the third goal.
Head coach Ashleigh Buie noted that “our defense had a great game along with an incredible effort from our offense.” The Lady Red Rams improved to 2-1 on the spring.
The Red Ram boys’ team wasn’t as fortunate, as it fell 3-2 to the Panthers. Scoring for Hamlet in the loss were Irwin Campos-Rimeros and Christian Robinson. It was head coach Earl Nicholson’s team’s first loss of the season and now sit with a 2-1 record.
Both Hamlet teams will travel to East Hoke Middle School on Thursday.
Game information and stats provided by Allen Adeimy, Ashleigh Buie, Daniel Webb and Mica Way.
