FORT WAYNE — Opening Sectional 37 at the Fort Wayne Sport Club Monday, the Whitko girls soccer team was defeated 2-1 by South Adams. Competing in a strong Fort Wayne sectional, Whitko drew an opponent with a similar skill level, but just came up short. “I was expecting it to be close,” Whitko coach Gary Sims said. “This was the exact game that I was expecting, although I was hoping it would be the other way around.” Whitko fell behind early, as South Adams junior Madison Morgan scored off an assist from freshman Alexis Dellinger in the 11th minute. Whitko senior Bridgette Thomson had a shot on goal that slipped through the hands of the Starfires’ goalkeeper in the 17th minute, then sophomore Leighandra Goodman had a one-on-one attempt that was stopped later in the half. Early in the second half, Whitko senior Reghan Craig broke into the scoring column, finding the back of the net off an assist from sophomore Riley Insley in the 44th minute. Two minutes later, Insley had a shot of her own, which hit the post. In all, Whitko had four great scoring opporunities, which Sims says is something new for his team, which averaged 0.9 goals per match in the regular season. “This is probably the most offensive game we’ve played,” he said. “We had some good looks, and we haven’t had that all season.” Whitko did get more opportunities than South Adams, but the latter made its count, taking the lead on another Morgan goal in the 52nd minute. Craig got the Lady Wildcats’ last great attempt, getting past the Lady Starfires defense, but her shot sailed high. Ending its season at 2-12-2, Sims credited his team’s struggles with a lack of experience and a goal scorer like it had last year in Ellyanna Blue, who had nine goals as a senior. “No, we didn’t,” he said when asked about having a forward with a goal-scoring mentality. “(Ellyanna) knew what to do with the ball. She had played since she was small. The forwards I have here, they’re just third-year forwards. It makes a big difference. “It’s been a long road (this season),” he added. “The experience we lost last year really, really showed (graduating the entire back line and goalkeeper). The good thing is, we only lose four (this year). The bad thing is, we only have one freshman. I know we’re picking up three next year that will fill in for some of the departures, but experience is everything. It’s just a big part of growing a program.” The speedy Insley showed an ability to track down the ball and get good looks at the net, and Sims believes she has the skill set to be the scorer his team needs. It will just take more time on the field. “She’s a first-year player, so she just needs more experience,” he said. “She’s going to get it, and she’s going to get there.” With its win, South Adams moves on to face Fort Wayne Blackhawk Thursday, which advanced with a 1-0 win over Fort Wayne Concordia in penalty kicks Monday.
SOUTH ADAMS 2, WHITKO 1 (Sectional 37, 1st Rd) SA – Madison Morgan (Alexis Dellinger) 11th min. W – Reghan Craig (Riley Insley) 44th min. SA – Morgan (Dellinger) 52nd min. Shots – SA 11, Whitko 9; Shots on Goal – SA 9, Whitko 4; Saves – SA (Jadene Jauregui) 3, Whitko (Ilyssa Bennett) 7; Fouls – SA 7, Whitko 9; Offsides – SA 0, Whitko 1; Corner Kicks – SA 1, Whitko 4. Whitko Record: 2-12-2.
