The Carroll High School soccer teams turned in another strong week on the pitch, highlighted by a dominant offensive performance from the Eagles and a competitive showing by the Lady Eagles at the Lakeshore Shootout in Birmingham.
Boys remain unbeaten
The Eagles continued their impressive start to the season, playing to a 1-1 draw against Charles Henderson High School before erupting for a 10-0 mercy-rule victory over Pike County High School.
In the matchup with Charles Henderson, Jacapo Merigo converted a penalty kick midway through the first half to give Carroll a 1-0 advantage. Goalkeeper Anthony Diaz and the Eagle defense withstood several tying attempts throughout the contest.
However, with just seconds remaining, Charles Henderson capitalized on a long throw-in that was redirected in front of the goal, knotting the score at 1-1. The two teams are scheduled for a rematch on March 30 in Troy.
Carroll bounced back emphatically Friday night, overpowering Pike County 10-0 in a game shortened by the mercy rule. Despite a driving rainstorm, the Eagles’ offense showed no signs of slowing down.
Nate Sasser led the attack with four goals, while Merigo added three. Cameron Buchanan, Dylan Alvarez-Aponte, and Gavin Recor each found the back of the net. Recor also contributed four assists in the win, and Diaz secured the shutout in goal.
The victory improved the Eagles’ record to 4-0-2 in the young season.
Lady Eagles compete at Lakeshore Shootout.
The Lady Eagles traveled to Birmingham for the Lakeshore Shootout, marking their fifth appearance in the tournament. Entering the weekend, Carroll had never suffered a loss in the event.
That streak ended in the opener, as the Lady Eagles fell 3-1 to Jasper. Kaylee Johnson trimmed the deficit to 2-1 early in the second half, but a missed penalty kick halted the momentum. Jasper added a late goal to seal the victory.
Carroll responded Friday night dominantly, defeating Central High School 9-0.
Kairos Moreno opened the scoring on an assist from Mia Ramos, sparking an offensive surge. Leilani Faulk and Moreno each added goals off assists from Alyssa Bonilla. Moreno later assisted Bonilla on a well-placed cross for another score.
In the second half, Faulk netted a long-range goal off a Moreno pass. Eighth grader Ryken Jones converted a penalty kick to extend the lead to 6-0. Amaya Hernandez scored off a pass from Ramos, and Moreno completed her hat trick later in the half. Allison King capped the scoring with a breakaway goal, while Johnson added assists on the final two goals.
Allison King moves the ball versus Jasper as Alyssa Bonilla (5) looks on.
Molly Weeks earned the shutout in goal. Strong defensive and midfield efforts were turned in by Jayal Hasan, Derriona Snell, Caylea Collins, Vivian Ibarra, Megan Tillotson, Layla Hernandez, and Kayla Moore.
Goalkeeper Molly Weeks prepares to punt the ball away versus Montevallo.
On Saturday, the Lady Eagles dropped a hard-fought 1-0 decision to Montevallo High School, surrendering a late goal with just four minutes remaining in a wet and muddy contest. Weeks recorded 12 saves, and the defense played well, but Carroll was unable to break through offensively.
The eighth-ranked Lady Eagles and the boys squad, which is expected to enter the rankings soon, will travel to Tallassee on Saturday for their next matches. Stay tuned to the Dale County Chronicle to stay up-to-date on the latest news, including sports. We will provide additional information in the days to come about CHS’s upcoming game schedule.
Senior Leilani Faulk takes a moment to collect her thoughts before the Jasper match.
Special thanks to girls’ coach Kirke Adams and to James King for permitting the use of his photographs
