LAURINBURG — The eagerness to get back on the winning side fueled the Fighting Scots on the road to Gray’s Creek Monday — but the outcome wasn’t what they hoped.
Junior Varsity
It’s been 1,098 days since the Scots last recorded a win, and that streak continues after their first conference game ended in a tie against the Gray’s Creek Bears.
It was a tale of two halves for the Scots. Scotland led 1-0 at halftime for the first time this season, but the measure of a team comes in how it responds when momentum shifts. Unfortunately, the Scots’ second-half performance told the story. Mistakes would find their way into the game, including two costly fouls inside the 18-yard box that allowed Gray’s Creek to convert penalty kicks and tie the game at 2-2, erasing Scotland’s 2-0 advantage in the second half.
“Our teamwork and communication have improved significantly,” head coach Jeremy White said. “We are still young and are still working to improve in many areas; however, their first win is closer than many may think.”
Freshman Matias Beltran scored his first goal of the season, sophomore Brayden Emmanuel also found the net, freshman Daniel Beltran contributed four steals and junior Andrew Medlock made nine saves.
Though Scotland has yet to earn its first victory of the season (0-3-1), plenty of opportunities remain to break the streak. The Scots host Terry Sanford on Sept. 24 at 5 p.m.
Varsity
“We lost the mental battle,” head coach Jeremy White said. In sports, success starts between the ears, not in the muscles. After suffering a heartbreaking loss to the South View Tigers last week, Gray’s Creek managed to shut out Scotland 4-0 for the first time this season.
“We lost the game before even arriving at Gray’s Creek,” White admitted. “The team is still reeling from the loss against South View. As the coach, I need to have these boys prepared both mentally and physically, and I failed to do my job.”
Frustration and egos became central issues for the Scots; when negativity set in, it triggered a domino effect of problems. The team’s lack of aggression, communication and teamwork ultimately led to disaster for Scotland.
“As a team we agreed we didn’t play to their full potential,” White said. “We’ve promised each other that fans will see the Scotland team from the first eight games of the season.”
Scotland would combine for 10 shots on goal, with senior Josh Smith contributing three steals. Senior Chris White made 12 saves, including blocking a penalty kick while allowing four goals.
Facing a two-game losing streak and sitting at 7-4, the question is: how will the Scots respond? Scotland will host Terry Sandford on Sept. 24 at 7 p.m.