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 File photo by Mike Buhler Kennett's Will Johnson (12) scored twice in the final few minutes to lead Kennett over Eagle Ridge Tuesday. [Click to enlarge] |
Appearances can be deceiving, however. Will Johnson scored a pair of goals in the game's final minutes, including the game-winner with around a minute to go to lift the Tribe past Eagle Ridge 3-2 at Indian Park on a cold, rainy afternoon.
It was Kennett's first game in almost three weeks. Weather and a flu outbreak postponed every game since September 24, and Indians (3-5) seemed to have some rust to be knocked off in the early going against Eagle Ridge.
"They were very slow to get started," Kennett coach Jack Rollins said. "The guys have missed a lot of practice for various reasons. ...It's just been a very erratic practice schedule. I think that might have had something to do with the slow start. I think they were just a little slow to start being aggressive."
And Eagle Ridge (10-4) nearly made the Tribe pay for it. The Eagles are a Christian school out of Cape Girardeau and an affiliate member of MSHSAA, but usually play other Christian schools.
"They didn't really play bad, but they played to the level of their competition," said Rollins of the Tribe.
After the Indians got the early lead, Aaron Margrabe scored for Eagle Ridge to tie the game in the first half, then scored again in the second half to give his team the 2-1 lead.
However, when the going got tough, Kennett got going. Johnson scored the tying goal with around five minutes to go, then the Indians got a big stop on the other end to keep the score tied and set up Johnson's final round of heroics.
Despite the close call, Rollins felt his team played good on Tuesday.
"We had a whole lot of shots on goal," Rollins said. "I don't even know how many -- we had numerous shots on goal. It's like a baseball team when they're hitting the ball hard, but they're hitting it at somebody."
After going 19 days between games, the Tribe is back in action Thursday at home against Sikeston.
Notes: Kennett has won back-to-back games for the first time this season. ... After Thursday's game against Sikeston, the Indians have just three games left this season.
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I thought coach Rollins' comments were a little on the funny side ..."They didn't really play bad, but they played to the level of their competition,"...I guess he forget we won last years contest 4-2
An explanation to the Eagle Ridge Christian Academy's soccer coach: I did NOT intend to communicate to the newpaper that the Kennett soccer team played "DOWN" to the level of its competition (Eagle Ridge) but rather that Kennett played to the level of its competition, i.e., that the two teams were competitive and pretty evenly matched. In fact, in my conversation with the reporter I thought he suggested that phrase (played to the level of their competition) and I thought I said that I would NOT put it that way. With the exception of one yellow card, the team from Eagle Ridge Academy played hard and represented their school, as well as their namesake, very well. The young men from Eagle Ridge appeared to be very respectful and my comment was not intended to be derogatory.