Look what Waynesboro went and did
If there’s one thing Waynesboro boys soccer program has needed, it was Tuesday night’s overtime win over Western Albemarle.
Why? Well, it’s simple really.
For reasons known only to the soccer gods and crying, whining old timers who can’t deal with the fact that the old Valley District (cue whimsical music and pensive look toward the past) is dead, the Little Giants are still playing those old Valley teams. Well, that’s OK, I guess. But why waste precious schedule dates on Spotswood and Broadway when, if you want to state power — and believe you/me, this Little Giant squad could and should be a state power — when you should be out playing some other teams to get used to other styles of play?
How can you expect a team to go far in regionals and, gasp, the state tournament, when the only soccer they know is a blown-tire roll away from Interstate 81? You can’t and, in the past, despite enough talent to make any soccer coach salivate, the Giants have faltered when it came regional time. And it’s for this reason and this reason alone.
But enough of that, let’s get back to Tuesday night, shall we.
So with the Jefferson District (gasp again ... a team that doesn’t play on a soccer pitch within ear shot of I-81) Western Albemarle Warriors coming over to Waynesboro, all the Little Giants do is let the visitors take a 3-2 lead.
Then all Sawyer Janes and Hugo Fernandez decide to do is hook up to score a game-tying goal and then, in overtime, Alex Farrington decides to end this thing with a shot into the back of the net with a measly 10 ticks left in the extra time.
Folks, I would love to type that Farrington’s table is ready but, and let’s be honest here, this kid’s been sitting at the big-kid’s table since he was scoring two or three a night on the JV team.
Seriously, his table has been ready for that long. (No joke.)
And another thing: Whatever Stuarts Draft’s baseball team has been eating the past few weeks, I’ll gladly take a plate full.
Hey, did you hear? Waynesboro boys soccer has a huge game Thursday against Fort Defiance. Some people out there are saying the Indians think this is their year and, who knows, it may be. Sadly, I don’t know because THIS TEAM HASN’T CALLED IN A SCORE ALL YEAR! (Um, hello coaches, anybody home.)
I’ll go ahead and say the same thing for the girls team. (Or type it, whichever.)
What’s not to like about a kid who passes up a nice, clean shot at a goal to dish the ball off to one of his team’s finishers? Nothing, that’s what’s not to like to Sam Bowman, a soccer player who knows his role and has no problems dishing out assists.
In a 9-1 route of Page County on Tuesday (and you gotta feel bad for Page County because being a first-year soccer program in the Shenandoah District is akin to being a freshman at a new high school), Bowman had two assists and looked surprised when it was pointed out to him that he passed up, what looked to be, a sure goal against a Panther goalkeeper who was having a hard time stopping anything.
“If it comes down to a 50-50 chance to shoot or a 100-percent chance to dish it off,“ he said, “I’m going to dish it off.“
(Applause, applause, applause)
BREAKING NEWS FROM OUR CONTINUOUS NEWS DESK: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says he’s in favor of a Division I (FBC, FCS, BM, whichever) football playoff, you know, like every other born and bred American whose last name isn’t “Tostitos” or “Nokia.“
(Now in your best Justice League voice-over guy voice: “Meanwhile, in Augusta County.“ You know, about 30 or so miles north of Lexington.)
Has anybody in the Waynesboro or R.E. Lee softball program figured out how the heck they are going to compete with Fort Defiance and Stuarts Draft in the years to come?
Somebody has to figure something out very soon because these two school are poised to own the Southern Valley District for the next few years.
Note I didn’t say anything about Rockbridge. (Here’s where you ask, “Why not?“)
Well, thanks for asking. It’s because of this comment from Monday’s column:
beware of the rockbridge wildcats. they finally have pitching and they have pitching coming also! the rockbridge 12u have dominated the Augusta rec league the last couple of years and they have girls who are starting to play travel ball which is where you have to play in order to be able to compete against the big girls.
—4packman
Hmmm ...
Waynesboro, Lee you’re on the clock starting now ...
(Speaking of being on the clock)
I’m. Already. Sick. Of. Mel. Kiper’s. Hair. There, I said it. (Or typed it, whichever.)
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