The Gilmer High Lady Cats were tasked with playing the No. 2 ranked team in Class 3A to begin region play.
GHS hosted the White County Warriors last Wednesday and were on the defensive for most of the night. WCHS scored two goals in the first half did not let up over the game’s final 40 minutes for a 6-0 win.
White is one of Gilmer’s new region opponents, and information was tough to come by leading up to the season.
“There is uncertainty in any season, but this year there is an added element of uncertainty going into a new region with teams you know very little about,” head coach April Nicholson said. “Weather and quarantines have made it difficult to scout these new teams. We knew going into it that White County was ranked No. 2 in all of 3A schools, so we knew they came to play.”
GHS goalkeeper Reagan Boling was pressed into action early and often. The Warriors fired their first shot seven minutes into the game, which marked the start of their offensive barrage.
White continued to press forward and finally broke through halfway into the first half with an 18-yard shot that was placed in the top right corner of the net.
Lady Cat Naomi Coombs received a yellow card just before the half, which marked the first of four on the night. The Warriors scored with 1:41 before the half when they hammered in a rebound following a Boling save.
GHS had trouble maintaining possession for extended periods of time. The Cats played balls over the top and fed the ball down the flank to Coombs, but clean shots were tough to come by.
Boling made a diving save 20 seconds into the second half. Two minutes later, a through ball found a racing Warrior striker for a 3-0 lead. Olivia Lykins garnered Gilmer’s second yellow card 12 minutes into the half as Boling continued to save shots.
WCHS got its fourth goal with 16:41 to play following another leading pass through the heart of Gilmer’s defense. Lykins replaced Boling in goal, and the latter promptly received a yellow card.
White clanked a shot off the post and into the goal four minutes later for a 5-0 lead. The Warriors kept their foot on the gas and earned a yellow card with under a minute to play, and netted a final goal with just seven seconds on the clock.
“Boling had 12 saves in the game; she really kept us alive. Our offense had possession for over 40 percent of the game, so there is a lot of positives to take away,” Nicholson said. “These girls gave it their all and never gave up; I’m really proud of them. I’m excited to see what the upcoming games hold for our girls.”
GHS has a 1-1 overall record and held senior night Tuesday.