Resurrected Program Continues To Improve
Playing its first game on its home field in 17 years, the Parry McCluer High School coed soccer team lost 5-1 to Jefferson Christian Academy on Monday of last week at Bobby Williams Field in Buena Vista.
Sophomore Eddie Robinson scored the Fighting Blues’ goal, and freshman goalkeeper Cameron Glass made 10 saves for PM (0-3-0). “I’m very pleased with his effort,” said PM head coach Chuck Rice.
The athletic Cardinals (3-10) led 4-0 at halftime, but the PM defense, led by co-captain Izzy Ramsey and Seven Medina, stepped up to make the second half even. Reid Whitener led JCA with three goals.
JCA got off to a fast start, as Whitener scored just 50 seconds into the game.
After Glass made several saves, Timothy Phlegar scored to extend the Cardinals’ lead to 2-0, and another goal by Whitener made it 3-0 with 17:30 left in the first half. Owen Bowden then scored from Glass’s right side to stretch JCA’s lead to 4-0 about three minutes before halftime.
Whitener scored JCA’s final goal early in the second half to make it 5-0, but the Blues then got their offense going, with Robinson breaking away to score with 12:25 left in the game.
It was the closest game of the season so far for the Blues, fielding their first team in four years. When they had home games in recent years, they played those at Southern Virginia University. PM lost its season opener 10-1 at Boys Home of Virginia on April 9 before falling 7-1 at Narrows on April 14.
Rice said he was “so proud of our team. We just keep getting better each day and each game.”
Giving the Cardinals credit, Rice said, “They had a lot of speed. They had a lot of skill. A lot of their kids, it seemed like they played a lot of soccer together. They’re well coached. You can’t go against that. They just played together really well.”
“It was a coed team,” added Rice. “There really wasn’t much drop-off from when the ladies were playing with the guys. Hats off to all of them. They played well as a team. They were really good. I was impressed.”
In addition to Robinson, Glass and the Blues’ defense, Rice praised A.J. Roberts, who was PM’s goalkeeper in their first two games before switching to play midfielder. “He did a great job,” said Rice.
The PM coach was also impressed by center midfielder Josh Lopez, who “played well, played hard.”
The Blues were scheduled to travel to Ripplemead on Monday for a rematch with JCA. Today, Wednesday, they’ll play host to Boys Home of Virginia, and they’ll have Pioneer District home games on Friday against Eastern Montgomery and on Tuesday against Narrows. All three games are scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
