by Rusty Ellis
The Cookeville Lady Cavs got a last-minute win over District 7-3A foe Lebanon, as Carmen Sandoval delivered a goal in the 77th minute to power CHS to the win.
On a broken play in the box, Sandoval found the loose ball after it slipped past the LHS keeper and guided it in for the game-winning goal, something that head coach Lauren Metts says was just a product of their mentality for the game.
“These girls fought and clawed and battled to be first to the ball, even more than normal,” Metts said. “They fought and worked as a team, and for them to be first to the ball, there were a lot of things I was proud of tonight…I told them that the way we would get that goal would be doing exactly what we did. That’s not the goalie making a mistake, that was us forcing a mistake.”
The season is only about two weeks old, and while Metts had a good idea of what the team she had this year would like look, she said she’s learned even more about their determination and heart after the last two weeks.
“I knew they would fight, but they’ve really impressed me with how they’ve battled in some of these games,” Metts said. “They deserved that win, they had to fight for every play for 80 minutes, and that’s not easy…they’re surprising me with their fight and their energy. I’m seeing a lot of good things, but as a group, they’re doing a good job of communicating. I’m very happy with these last two weeks of work. They’ve just built on every game and gotten a little bit better each time out.”
The Lady Cavs will hit the road for their next contest, as they take on Wilson Central on Tuesday.
