By Thomas Grant Jr.
A 9-match undefeated streak has the Airport girls’ soccer team ranked for the first time this season.
The 10th-ranked Lady Eagles (11-1-1, 3-1) entered Tuesday ranked first in Region 5-4A. On Monday, they shut out Pelion 7-0 as Victoria Coleman posted two goals and had three assists.
Cece Gardner, Ella Harman, Brianna Harris, and Brooke Davis also had goals.
Airport opened the second half of the season Tuesday at Midland Valley.
In boys’ action, the Eagles snapped a 9-game losing streak with a 2-0 win over Horse Creek Academy. Eduardo Jesus Hernandez-Silverio and Bryan Gonzalez each scored for Airport, who now seek its first region win.
In Class 5A, the “farewell tour” for retiring River Bluff boys soccer coach Phillip Savitz continues to run smoothly.
With the school having promoted assistant head coach Thad Miller as his successor starting next season, the third-ranked Gators opened Region 4-5A play with consecutive wins.
It started March 15 with a 5-0 shutout of White Knoll. J.J. Burns posted a ‘hat trick’ with three goals and Jack Dunning added a goal and two assists.
Four nights later, Dunning also posted a ‘hat trick’ as he accounted for all of River Bluff’s points in a 3-1 win over archrival Lexington. It entered Tuesday’s matchup with Dutch Fork at 10-1 overall, 2-0 in the region.
The same night saw the fifth-ranked Lexington girls rally from a 1-0 deficit to defeat seventh-ranked River Bluff 2-1. Adriana Dunat and Alyssa Frazier had both second-half goals for the Lady Wildcats.
They followed two nights later with a 4-0 win over White Knoll to improve to 2-1 in the region. Ella Dickey had two goals and Maggie Hefferman and Dunat each added a goal.
In other Region 4-5A play, the Chapin boys soccer team defeated Lexington 2-0 Monday in its Region 4-5A opener.
Luke Hilton and Wyatt Jordan accounted for both goals by the Eagles.
The second-ranked Chapin girls’ soccer team is riding a 13-game unbeaten streak. It had posted seven straight shutouts before the 3-2 win over A.C. Flora on Monday.
Sophomore Lila Bowers scored two goals and Klaire Wenger added a goal in the win for the Lady Eagles (13-1, 2-0).
SCOR BOARD TOP 10 SOCCER RANKINGS
(GIRLS)
Class 5A
1.Mauldin, 2. Chapin, 3. J.L. Mann, 4. Wando, 5. Lexington, 6. Clover, 7. River Bluff, 8. Blythewood, 9. St. James, 10. West Ashley
Class 4A
1.Lucy Beckham, 2. Eastside, 3. Catawba Ridge, 4. Indian Land, 5. Riverside, 6. A.C. Flora, 7. James Island, 8. West Florence, 9. Wade Hampton, 10. Airport
Class 3A
1.Waccamaw, 2. Beaufort, 3. D.W. Daniel, 4. Dreher, 5. Hanahan, 6. Powdersville, 7. Camden, 8. Gilbert, 9. Phillip Simmons, 10. Wren
Class 2A
1.Oceanside Collegiate, 2. Bishop England, 3. Academic Magnet, 4. York, 5. Christ Church, 6. Gray Collegiate, 7. Greer Middle College, 8. St. Joseph’s Catholic School, 9. Southside Christian, 10. Newberry
(BOYS)
OVERALL
1.J.L. Mann, 2. Clover, 3. Cardinal Newman, 4. River Bluff, 5. Oceanside Collegiate, 6. Catawba Ridge, 7. Ashley Ridge, 8. Wando, 9. Gray Collegiate, 10. A.C. Flora
Class 5A
1.J.L. Mann, 2. Clover, 3. River Bluff, 4. Ashley Ridge, 5. Wando, 6. Mauldin, 7. Dutch Fork, 8. Nation Ford, 9. Hillcrest, 10. Stratford
Class 3A
1.Powdersville, 2. D.W. Daniel, 3. Waccamaw, 4. Phillip Simmons, 5. Hanahan, 6. Wren, 7. Seneca, 8. Beaufort, 9. Gilbert, 10. Palmetto
Class 2A
1.Oceanside Collegiate, 2. Gray Collegiate, 3. Academic Magnet, 4. Greer, 5. Bishop England, 6. Mid-Carolina, 7. Newberry, 8. Andrew Jackson, 9. Hampton County, 10. Batesburg-Leesville
Photo by Matt Schillit – The Airport girls soccer team
