First Presbyterian Christian Academy’s soccer teams were able to get a little revenge for the basketball team on Memorial Day.
The Matadors had just claimed the state boys’ basketball title after beating FPCA, 65-60, in overtime Saturday, but the Highlander soccer teams notched shutouts against the Matadors on Tuesday at James Brown Park.
The Lady ’Landers won, 8-0, and the FPCA boys won, 9-0.
The Lady ’Landers had all eight goals notched in the first 30 minutes of play. This prompted the referees to call immediately for halftime according to the rules. Also, the second half was shortened.
Kelsey Higgason, Brooke Standard, Myesha Robinson and Nelly Spek were among the Lady ’Landers scoring goals.
Despite the ability to substitute several players and earn the shutout, coach Tom Sukaratana said he would have preferred to have played a full 80 minutes since, due to weather problems, it was the girls’ first game of the season.
“We are still not playing together yet,” he said. “I think there are two to three positions with new players, and so we have to work those out. I did empty my bench because next week I will have to rely on my bench … we are playing a bunch of games in a tournament and then Frederica Academy. It’s probably the busiest week of the whole season, so I need to see how the players play, including eighth-graders. Once we start playing together, things will be a lot smoother.”
In the boys’ game, Highlander Robert Abrams scored just three minutes into the game.
A few minutes later, Clark Sukaratana scored a goal off an assist from Danny Sanchez. Sukaratana scored two more goals, and Garrett Thornton punched one in to close the first half with FPCA up, 5-0.
In the second half, Tyler Causer added two, and Abrams and Stanford Graham each scored a goal.
“It was the boys’ second game, and they seem to click together,” coach Sukaratana said. “We also emptied the bench for the boys’ game … they are ready and now I have the defense …. Now we are attacking from the back, and we were able to practice that in the second half of the game.”
FPCA was scheduled to play Thursday at Georgia Christian and will play Tuesday at Frederica.
In other local soccer results, the Bradwell Tigers lost to Windsor Forest, 3-1, on Tuesday in Savannah.
The Tigers are 3-1 overall and 2-1 in Region 3B-AAAAA. The Lady Tigers earned their third region win by beating Windsor Forest, 3-1, improving to 4-0 overall and 3-0 in the region.
On Tuesday at Donell Woods Stadium, the Liberty County Panther boys’ soccer team beat Brunswick, 5-2. The Panthers are 2-0 overall and 1-0 in Region 3A-AAAA.
The Lady Panthers also beat Brunswick 2-1. Courtney Welch scored both goals for the Liberty girls, who have a 1-3 overall mark and 0-1 region record.
According to Lady Panther coach Jarvis McArthur, the defense was solid, led by juniors Lynda Jimenez, Brianna Reece and freshmen Tatiana White and Matti Keith.