Perfect finish for Fike
May 9, 2009 Rocky Mount High School
By Scott Jones
Wilson Daily Times
WILSON - If you think you've seen these results before, you probably have.
Friday night Fike's girls soccer team closed out a perfect four-year run through the NEW 6 Conference in championship fashion with a 3-1 victory over visiting Rocky Mount in the conference tournament final.
In beating Rocky Mount, the No. 2 seed, for the third time this season (3-1 each time, by the way), the Golden Demons' senior class holds the distinction of not only never losing to a NEW 6 opponent, but they also can lay claim to all four tournament championships in the NEW 6's brief history, with the last three coming at the Gryphons' expense. That's 48 straight NEW 6 wins for Fike.
Fike, ranked No. 6 among the state's 3-A teams, will now take a 16-1-1 record into next week's N.C. High School Athletic Association state playoffs opener. The Demons welcome Charles B. Aycock of the Eastern Carolina Conference on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
Each team came out aggressively, befitting the heated nature of the rivalry. Fike controlled play for much of the opening half, keeping constant pressure on Rocky Mount's defense in the early going.
Nine minutes into the game, sophomore Meredith Pruden emerged from the pack to guide Fike's first corner-kick opportunity into the Rocky Mount net.
Less than a minute later, Rocky Mount (16-5) thought it had evened the score, but the officials nullified the score with an offside call.
Seven minutes later, though, the Gryphons did knot the score when Lauren Campbell, the third Rocky Mount player to run at the ball, scored on a free kick. Rocky Mount erupted into an animated celebration, with players skipping and slapping congratulations to each other as they returned to midfield.
The celebration would prove to be very short-lived.
One minute late, Fike freshman Carly Ferrell dribbled in the right corner, eluding each of the two Rocky Mount defenders who came out to challenge her. Ferrell looked up and saw Rocky Mount goalkeeper Holly Campbell playing aggressively, out-of-the net defense and surprised everyone by slipping a crafty pass past Campbell which senior Tramicka James alertly fired into the open goal.
"We came out an played like we wanted it." Fike head coach Toni Varacchi said. "We laid it all on the line because there was a lot to play for -- especially the seniors. They'd never lost to anyone in the NEW 6, and now, they never will."
Pruden added Fike's final goal early in the second half on a powerful shot from short range. From that point, Fike concentrated more on defending Rocky Mount's long passes, allowing Rocky Mount to press for a frantic but ultimately futile finish.
"We had our chances," frustrated Rocky Mount head coach Drew Nick said. "Unfortunately, we let them (Fike) in. They were not spectacular goals, but we let them in." |
NATIONAL
NORTH CAROLINA
