The Kosciusko boys and girls soccer teams rebounded from losses to Newton County with easy victories against Louisville. The Whippets won 7-0, the Lady Whippets 10-0.
The results left the Whippets in third place in Region 4-4A with a 2-3 record, behind Newton County 7-0 and West Lauderdale 5-1. The top three teams will qualify for the MHSAA playoffs.
Against Louisville, coach Greg Cooper moved Thomas Sims up from midfield to striker to get better offensive production and he responded with the first two goals. “Thomas is a really good distributor of the ball.”
Jon Gant and Alexis Hernandez each had two goals and an assist, Christian Garcia a goal and an assist.
The Whippets were defeated by Newton County for the second time 2-0. They lost the previous game 3-0.
“We inflicted our own wounds on ourselves,” Cooper said. “Either a pass was off or when it was accurate our touch was bad. We just weren't hitting on all cylinders. It was just an all around bad performance. If we had been connecting on our passes the outcome could have been different.”
The Whippets even missed a penalty kick.
Cooper feels a layoff of more than two weeks before the Newton County games hurt both of his teams.
Girls
Raven Pernell led the Lady Whippets against Louisville with four goals. Mia Manjarrez had two goals, Emerson Powers, Karianne Amis, Shelby Stewart and Molly Steed one each. Manjarrez. Stewart and Steed were each credited with an assist.
“The girls moved the ball well,” Cooper said. “We're trying to move the ball in and out, speeding up the play. We did that very well. So did the boys.
''We had some success. You always like that.”
The Lady Whippets were defeated by Newton County 3-1. A second half goal by Presley Fulgham tied the game at 1-1, before Newton County scored twice.
Cooper said Fulgham did a good job defending Newton County's Kaylee Avant, who scored the only goal in an earlier 1-0 victory over Kosciusko. “She was able to match her speedwise.”
The Whippets played Choctaw Central Tuesday and will be at Northeast Lauderdale Friday in 4-4A games.
