The Lady Owls travelled to Smithville on Tuesday, September 15, to take on district rival Dekalb County Tigers in a match-up of epic proportions. The Owls came out fast and strong attacking the goal multiple times without finding the net. Not to be held back, they soon gained momentum as mid-fielder Mai Harrelson took possession off a Tiger throw-in and sent the ball sailing past mid-field. Forward Abby Smith ran onto the ball and then was able to play it into space on the right for Katie Wright. Katie’s speed allowed her to race against a Tiger defender in order to play it back across the six as Abby Smith touched the ball gently into the net, giving the Owls a 1-0 lead in the 17th minute. The Tigers didn’t back down as they answered with their own goal in the 27th minute as goalie Tori Lankford stepped out to bravely challenge for the ball. With the pressure on to push ahead once again, the Owls had to take charge. The second goal came in the 36th minute and began as a goal kick from the Tigers that was possessed in the air and sent forward by mid-fielders Savannah Wright and Abbi Gregory. The Tiger’s goalie slid out for the ball but was unable to capture it as Abby Smith laid it off into the net. This left the Lady Owls with a 2-1 lead at halftime.
As the second half started, the Tigers seemed to push our defense again and again without getting through. The final goal from the Owls came from Julia Pardue as she received a punt from goalie Tori Lankford and then drove down field to take a shot from the left and finding nothing but net. This left the game at 3-1 in the 52nd minute. Goalie Tori Lankford made save after save as the Tiger offense tried pushing the ball through but were awarded another point on the board in the 78th minute of the game for their efforts. Both halves were super intense and both teams fought hard but the Lady Owls prevailed and were able to bring home a 3-2 district win.
