The Lady Cats turned the tables on the soccer field for a lopsided win.
Gilmer has experienced some growing pains in the early season after losing several impactful players to graduation. The Cats shook off some tough losses in the first week of the season before last Tuesday’s rout of Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe.
The visiting Warriors were unable to quell the Cats’ offense, which continually put itself in position to score. Gilmer led by three goals at the half and scored six more in the second for a 9-0 victory.
It took the Cats 10 minutes to score their first goal. They dominated possession to that point before Joei Marshall set up to take a corner kick. She sent the ball into the box, and after shots by Jazmin Landeverde and Salma Gonzalez ricocheted off LFO defenders, Ali Morin knocked the ball in just feet from the goal line.
Fourteen minutes later, Salma Gonzalez outbattled two defenders in the middle of the field for possession 30 yards from the goal. She passed to Selina Tercero on the left, who met the ball with her left foot and knocked it off the far post and into the net. The 10-yard goal was the first of three for Tercero.
Another Marshall corner kick with 10 minutes left in the half led to another goal. Teammate Tara Becerra outpositioned a Warrior at the far post and scored on the doorstep.
It took less than five minutes in the second half for the Cats’ fourth goal. Morin scored from close range after receiving a cross from Tercero along the left wing.
Gilmer then cashed in three goals over a span of 2:57. Marshall blasted a shot from 10 yards, and while it was saved, Tercero was there to collect the rebound and score when the goalkeeper was unable to hold onto the ball.
It gave GHS a 5-0 lead with 27:16 on the clock. Two minutes later, it was the same duo for the Cats. Marshall’s through ball rolled 52 yards before it was tracked down by Tercero as she outpaced defenders for a 6-0 lead.
Fifty seconds later, Marshall was there to gather a loose ball at the top of the box. She quickly launched a 22-yard shot that flew over the keeper’s head and just underneath the crossbar.
Leading 7-0 with 24:20 left in the match, head coach Jennifer Plemons started to insert reserves into the game. Alyssa Hughes came off the bench and scored the Cats’ remaining goals. With 17 minutes on the clock, Brenlee Daniel’s cross could not be corralled by the goalkeeper, and Hughes was waiting at the far post to score.
Hughes then ran down a through ball and scored from 10 yards out for a 9-0 advantage with five minutes to play.
The Cats began the week Tuesday at Southeast Whitfield. The score was even at the end of regulation, 1-1, and the Cats won the shootout, 4-1.
Gilmer attended the Canton Cup Friday and Saturday and fell to Osborne on the opening night, 2-1. GHS took down Cristo Rey Atlanta the following day, 4-0.
The Lady Cats have a 3-4 overall record and traveled to Dalton Academy at press deadline.