The Scotland High School boys' soccer team gave up an early goal before scoring three unanswered for a 3-1 victory over St. Pauls in the Scots' final scrimmage of the preseason on Friday in Laurinburg.

The game, played on the newly-sodded SHS soccer practice field, involved four 20-minute quarters. Scotland tied the game on a header from Alex Fricke; the assist on the play came from reserve left fullback Aaron Stevens, whose free kick from 40 yards out created the opportunity for Fricke.

"Aaron is a reserve, but I think he's played well enough to say he is in the running for that position," said SHS head coach Colin McDavid.

Evgheny Khandoga scored Scotland's second goal on an assist by Trey Pleasant. Khandoga has four goals in scrimmages with three teams this preseason. Scotland's final goal was an own goal that happened as a St. Pauls defender mistakenly kicked the ball into the Bulldogs' net while trying to fend off a charge by Khandoga.

"We need to go back to the drawing board," said McDavid of the Scots' overall performance against the second-year St. Pauls program. "We did not perform like we did at the first scrimmage.

"Our spacing was off and we were not touching the ball —not even in warmups — like we did at the Southern Lee scrimmage... But, at the same time, we know how to do it.

"You also have to give the guys credit for not putting their heads down when St. Pauls scored early. We should be alright. We're a very deep team, and if a guy like Evgheny Khandoga has to go out of the game, I have a quality player to replace him with."

Scotland was without Balyn Krout. Possibly the soccer team's best player, Krout was busy nailing down the starting kicker's job with the SHS football team as it scrimmaged Sanderson High in Raleigh on Friday.

Scotland opens the season at Jack Britt on Wednesday. The JV game takes place at 5:30 and the varsity game starts at 7.