One coach referred to it as a "rocket." Another coach called it "one of the harder shots" he had watched all season. And the goalkeeper who raised her hands in an effort to stop it later smiled, laughed and said she was "afraid for her life."
That is what Nash Central midfielder Brittany "Bitti" Wells is capable of each time she pulls back her right leg and fires another shot toward the goal.
Wells scored the last goal for the No. 4 seed Bulldogs during a 3-0 win Tuesday night over the No. 5 seed Southern Nash Ladybirds in the first round of the NEW 6 Conference girls' soccer tournament at Northern Nash. But make no mistake, the goal was far from ordinary. Just listen to Nash Central coach Jeremy Jones, Southern Nash coach Jeremy Perry and Southern Nash goalkeeper Katie Horner.
With the Bulldogs (10-11-0) already leading the Ladybirds (3-14-1) 2-0 and with about 20 minutes remaining in the match, Wells received a pass from a teammate near midfield. She dribbled ahead for about 15 yards, then turned to her right and, an instant later, her left. Then, from more than 20 yards away from the goal, she fired a shot. And scored.
That Wells scored from that position on the pitch surprised almost everybody except, well, Wells. She practices her shots at home each day for about an hour, sometimes two, on two goals in her backyard.
And practice, so much practice, makes perfect.
"She has a rocket leg," Jones said.
Wells and the Bulldogs will return to the pitch at 5 p.m. today to play the No. 1 seed Wilson Fike Golden Demons, undefeated and the favorite to win the tournament again. The Demons beat the Bulldogs earlier this season, 8-0 and 5-1. Not that the Bulldogs care about what happened during the regular season.
"What are they? Something like 34-0-0 in NEW 6 Conference play?" Jones said. "Well, the one has to come some time. Maybe tomorrow night."
Rocky Mount High 11
SouthWest Edgecombe 0
With so few players remaining on the rosther to run from one end of the pitch to the other, and with even fewer players remaining available to come off the bench, Rocky Mount High coach Patrick Sensiba said he wanted the Gryphons "to conserve as much energy as possible."
Score as many goals as possible during the first 15 or 20 minutes, Sensiba said, then turn your attention toward the next match.
The plan worked, at least for one match, the No. 3 seed Gryphons rolled to an 11-0 win over the No. 6 seed SouthWest Edgecombe Cougars in the first round of the NEW 6 Conference tournament at Northern Nash. The Gryphons jumped out to a 5-0 lead within the first 25 minutes, scored two more goals prior to halftime, then stretched their lead to 11-0 midway through the second half.
The Gryphons (12-6-1) will play the No. 2 seed Northern Nash Knights at 7 tonight for a berth in the tournament championship game and the possibility of three matches in three days. Which is why Sensiba wanted his players to relax after a fast start. Only 13 players remain on the roster and 11 are on the pitch at all times. That does not equal a lot of rest for any players.
"It's fun," Sensiba said. "It's just tough."
The Cougars (0-15-0), meanwhile, finished the season sixth in the conference.
"I expected a little more for the last game," coach Jason Arnold said.
Though no players scored Tuesday, goalkeeper Tranell Seibert finished the match with 17 saves and the season with more than 200.
Matt LaWell can be reached at 407-9952 or mlawell@coxnc.com
Nash Central 3
Southern Nash 0
Goals: NC – Lydia Hunt, Amanda Michaels, Brittany Wells
Saves: NC – Krystal French (3). SN – Katie Horner (11).
Rocky Mount High 11
SouthWest Edgecombe 0
Goals: RMH – Ashley Pearsall (3), Michelle Barringer (2), Morgan Perry (2), Allison Raper (2), Kelsey Benson, Marissa Ramey.
Assists: RMH – Perry (2), Kate Gray, Raper.
Saves: RMH – Lauren Campbell (1). SWE – Tranell Seibert (17).
