The King’s Warriors Soccer Club had a busy October, starting October 1 at East River Soccer Complex. The Warriors battled Mt. Mission School, falling 7-4 after leading briefly 4-3 early in the second half. Aaron Smith scored twice, while Chance Blevins and Chris Haynes both added one.
The Warriors got back in the win column with back-to-back victories against Lewisburg Baptist Academy on October 2 and 4. The October 2 game was a 4-0 shutout (Blevins 2, Aaron Smith 1, Noah Stoneback 1), and the October 4 match had a 6-1 scoreline. Smith netted a brace, while Blevins, Marley, Stoneback, Noah Stoneback, and Sarah Okes all scored one. Okes scored her first varsity King’s Warriors goal on her 15th birthday.
On October 9, the team made the long journey to Huntington to take on St. Joseph’s Central Catholic High School. The Warriors battled through heat, illness, and a limited roster to go to halftime tied 0-0. Jake Dickens then came up huge to stop a penalty kick and the subsequent rebound to keep the scored knotted. The team’s hard work was rewarded when Aaron Smith sneaked a goal in mid-way through the second half. It looked as though the team would be able to hold on for a victory, but a momentary defensive lapse permitted St. Joe’s to put the ball in the back of the net with literally 2 seconds left on the referee’s clock. The team registered a 1-1 tie that felt like a loss.
Still reeling from that game, and missing two key players due to other commitments, the team traveled to Oak Hill Academy on October 16. The “Oak Hill Curse” still hung over the King’s Warriors, and they fell 8-3 (Smith -2, Blevins – 1). The team still enjoyed the trip, which included a drive and very short, cold picnic at the summit of Whitetop Mountain after the game.
The King’s Warriors then tuned up for the Bella Vista Futbol League Tournament with wins against Lewisburg on October 18 (5-0; Blevins 2, Smith 1, N. Stoneback 1, own goal 1), and New Castle October 23 (4-3; Smith 2, Blevins 1, own goal 1).