The Lord Botetourt boys soccer team is on a roll. The Cavaliers are unbeaten after seven games with two games on the schedule this week before spring break.
Photo by Jim Devinney
Botetourt opened the Blue Ridge District season last week with a 5-2 win over Staunton River in Daleville. Matt Smith had two goals for LB and Abe Barkett, Kyle Wood and Gardner Branscom had one each.
“Although I was impressed with our level of play overall, this game allowed us to the opportunity to experience the major consequences of conceding goals as a result minor defensive breakdowns,” said coach Tim Wright. “We were able to analyze those goals by watching film and having the guys explain the who, what, why, and how those goals were created.”
The Cavaliers finished the week on the road in Lynchburg, defeating Heritage High in a non-district match, 3-0. Branscom scored the opening two goals and Trey Rice finalized things, scoring the third goal early in the second half. Goalkeeper Collin Ewers secured his first shutout of the season with two saves for the night.
“I knew going into this match that we gave Heritage a little too much hope the first time, as we only outscored them 3-2,” said Wright. “To see the way the guys played, from the No. 1 player all the way to the 18th player, was probably some of the most fun that I have experienced in my years at LB. We seemed to be unpredictable offensively while forcing the opposition to play in a predictable manner. That makes for fun quality soccer.”
The Cavaliers were scheduled to host Northside Tuesday, and they’ll play their final game before spring break on Friday against William Byrd in Vinton.
