BOYS' SOCCER: Hunt shuts out CBA

By News-Argus Staff
Published in Sports on September 8, 2016 9:57 AM

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PIKEVILLE -- Following Tuesday evening's prosperous waltz versus Wayne County rival Goldsboro High, Charles B. Aycock varsity soccer coach Cory Worrell was desirous of another stern non-conference test for his club.

Roughly 24 hours later, he got one.

The Golden Falcons, playing the second night of a back-to-back bit of scheduling, dropped a taxing -- at times chippy -- 1-0 decision to Big East 3-A member Wilson Hunt on Wednesday evening.

From the outset, the match was a bruising, physical affair.

Led by senior Juan Anguiano, Hunt (6-1-0 overall) entered the contest as one of the state's most prolific scoring teams, having amassed 74 points through its first five tilts of the season.

Aycock, however, appeared non-plused by its prowess.

The Golden Falcons opened in physical form, loosely doubling Anguianio along the touchline and disrupting his lanes near midfield. After 26 scoreless minutes, including a lost one-on-one showdown in the box with CBA's Skyler Landers, the senior appeared openly frustrated.

Meanwhile, Aycock pressed.

Moving the ball crisply, the Falcons launched seven first-half shots on goal -- including three by sophomore striker Coe Jordan, the hero of Tuesday's match against Goldsboro.

"We passed the ball," Worrell noted. "(And) we played physical. I think we gave them a fight tonight."

Aycock's fight, however, suffered a breakdown in the 37th minute.

Gathering a loose ball near the 18-yard line, Hunt's Kevin Alfaro slipped a deft touch to a streaking Mark Bogle, whose footwork beat a lunging Landers into the corner net.

Hunt 1, Aycock 0.

After intermission, the pitch became a battle of wills, and a mercurial one to say the very least.

Aycock's Sean Doulin kept the throttle down for the Falcons, firing an array of shots on goal, beginning with a laser that was deflected above the crossbar by Garis in the 49th minute. The save was part of a brilliant showing for the Warriors' keeper, who filed seven stops on the evening.

Alas, no payoff for Aycock.

"We have to keep on plugging," Worrell said. "Get the ball and put it in the back of the net."

With time and opportunity waning, matters became chippy, with yellow cards issued to members of each team. The tension peaked in the 78th minute, following another stone-dead denial of an Anguiano breakaway by Landers. The two became tangled as Anguiano left the box, and after a brief stare-down, were separated.

Two minutes later, the clash was officially over -- but not lost.

"I thought this was the best game we played this year," said an optimistic Worrell. "I couldn't ask for any better."

Aycock (3-3-0) travels to Rocky Mount next Tuesday.