By Michael Lindsay
The Stone Memorial Panther soccer team is in the win column following their 4-1 victory over Upperman Thursday evening in Crossville.
Thursday’s victory is the first of the season for the defending District 6-2A champion Panthers as they’re currently 1-4-2 overall.
“It’s really come down to us figuring it out,” said SMHS head coach Dan Richard. “We’re still not all the way there; we’ve got tough games next week as we get deeper into our district.
“This year, we’re playing with less defenders,” Richard said. “We don’t have the size we’ve had in the past. It’s very different; we’re trying to play smarter and more patiently defensively. We’re trying to stay the course and put in the work so we’re ready by the end of the season.”
Stone Memorial wasted no time getting on the board as Devin Dothard found the back of the net in the opening minute to give the Panthers a 1-0 lead.
“Most of the time, whoever scores first wins,” Richard said. “It’s something we always strive for. That’s why the beginning of every game looks like a frenzy; everybody’s trying to fight for that edge. When you get it, it feels a little more comfortable and you get some breathing room.”
Dothard extended the Panthers’ lead in the 24th minute as he connected on a penalty kick to push their advantage to 2-0.
Stone Memorial wasn’t done scoring in the first half as Justin Barnett broke loose on the right side and scored to give the Panthers a 3-0 halftime lead.
The Panthers grew their lead to 4-0 early in the second half as Jackson Barnett found the top left corner from straight on for a goal, giving Stone Memorial a 4-0 advantage.
“We hadn’t scored since March 17, and we put 4 on the board tonight,” Richard said. “That was helpful for everybody.”
Upperman broke through the Panther defense with 20:13 remaining as Gage Walker scored the Bees’ lone goal, making the final score 4-1 in favor of Stone Memorial.
Stone Memorial opens next week with two District 6-2A games as they’re scheduled to host White County Tuesday and travel to Livingston on Thursday. The Panthers will close the week at home against Cookeville.
Upperman falls to 0-5 overall and will take a week off before traveling to Cumberland County next Thursday.
