By Yvonne Dennis (246)
No team likes to take a win for granted, but after defeating the reigning Public League girls soccer champions in the playoffs last week, Central’s Lancers were feeling good about their chances against Julia Masterman in the title game on Sunday.
The Blue Dragons were coming in to the game with 8 wins and 6 losses, one of them to Central by a score of 6-0. The 12-2 Lancers didn’t know it, but their young opponents were also coming in pretty banged up, with six players scratched due to injuries.
The Lancers played crisp, efficient ball on the 79-degree afternoon at Northeast High School’s stadium and shut out Masterman 5-0. The Public League trophy, last won by Central in 2011, became became Lancers property once again.
Central’s girls soccer, in fact, possessed the Public League trophy for eight straight years, going back to 2004. Franklin Towne Charter High School won the championship four straight years after that.
This past Wednesday, the two teams played to a 2-2 tie. Central came out on top in penalty kicks, 2-1, ending FTC’s 2016 campaign.
“This is why you came out for the team in August,” Central Coach Richard Johns told his players at the start of Sunday’s title game. “Smother them on defense,” he urged.
Actually Central smothered Masterman’s chances by keeping the ball on their offensive side of the field for most of the game. No. 4 Djavon Dupree (276) knocked in Central’s first two goals, quickly followed by a score from fellow senior No. 2 Lilliana Greene.
Djavon kicked in her third goal of the game with 9:37 left in the first half and then Lilliana’s sister, No. 23 Isabella Greene(279), scored the Lancers’ final goal of the game–her first of the year.
Masterman controlled the ball more on its scoring side of the field in the second half but the team wasn’t able to find Central’s net.
“I’m proud of you,” Coach Johns told the players after winning his first Public League soccer trophy. The departure of the team’s nine seniors is especially meaningful, as they have been with him his entire tenure as Central’s soccer coach. Johns also coaches Central’s bowling teams in the winter.
But the girls’ soccer season is not over yet. On Wednesday they will battle the winner of the Catholic League for the District title.
HCentral’s boys soccer team–coached by 256’s Joshua Trott–was supposed to contend against Northeast for the boys’ Public League title right after the girls game Sunday but play was called after a only a few minutes because of lightning strikes.
The game was rescheduled for Tuesday Nov. 1 at 3:30, at Northeast’s field.
