No. 15 Hunt shocks C.B. Aycock

By Andrew Stevens
Published in Sports on October 9, 2008 2:00 PM

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WILSON -- It only took 80 minutes and when it was over, the Charles B. Aycock boys' soccer team was left with a harsh dose of reality -- it's not invincible after all.

The No. 2-ranked Golden Falcons couldn't spoil Wilson Hunt's senior night festivities. The No. 15-ranked Warriors put the first blemish on C.B. Aycock's record -- a 3-1 loss in Class 3-A Eastern Carolina Conference play.

The Golden Falcons exited with the realization there is room for improvement and they have a target on their backs.

"We came here, and the boys thought that they were invincible and they couldn't be beaten," said C.B. Aycock head coach Kevin Adkins. "I think this is going to do us good because now we've got to go back and look at ourselves ... where we thought nobody could beat us in the conference it shows that we can get beat.

"We didn't play well tonight."

Hunt's Eric Nguyen scored in the first minute and the Warriors used that as momentum to outplay Aycock both offensively and in the midfield all night. A blast that clanged off the cross bar in the fourth minute nearly extended Hunt's lead.

Aycock (15-1-0 overall, 7-1-0 ECC) failed to convert on a pair of first-half corner kicks and Rodriguez's free kick from just outside the 18-yard box in the 12th minute couldn't find the feet of a teammate.

The Golden Falcons' best scoring opportunity came in the 32nd minute when Rodriguez sent a ball into the 18-yard box that found David Burke standing alone in front of Hunt keeper Will Jacobs. Burke struggled to control the ball from his chest to his feet before ultimately having the ball roll out of bounds.

Trailing just 1-0 at halftime, Aycock appeared content in the second half to lob long passes over the top, leaving forwards Rodriguez and Thomas Oliver with plenty of running to do but nothing to show for it.

"Our midfield was completely and absolutely gone," said Adkins. "We pumped balls up over the middle and nobody ran on to it. After a while you can only run yourself so far.

"We played hard but I think their heads kind of dropped toward the end of the game and we need to work on that. Regardless of whether you win or lose you've got to give 100 percent."

Henry Orellana stretched the Warriors' advantage to 2-0 in the 51st minute by scoring on a rebound off a ball that deflected off Golden Falcons keeper Brandon Davis. Seven minutes later Aycock, appeared to have new life when C.P. Cranford slipped a deflected ball off a throw in past Jacobs.

However, Aaron White's goal just moments later on a curving ball that beat Davis in the corner of the goal sealed the Golden Falcons' fate and shattered their hopes of an undefeated season.

"I think that broke our back," Adkins said. "I was standing here on the sideline and I could see it even before he struck the ball, I knew where it was going to go. Not enough people came to close him down.

"I told the guys before the game that he's a left-footed kicker and we had to shut him down."

Hunt (13-3-1, 7-1-0) and Aycock are tied for first in the ECC. The Golden Falcons host rival Eastern Wayne on Monday, while Hunt entertains Southern Wayne. Both games begin at 7 p.m.