The Kosciusko boys and girls soccer teams both failed to score against West Lauderdale, the Whippets losing 2-0 and the Lady Whippets 7-0.
Coach Greg Cooper said the boys game was very physical. “We don't normally play that way. They shouldered us and shoved us They got us out of our mindset.”
The Knights also did a strong job defensively on Jon Gant, who scored 25 goals in the previous six games. “They did a good job not letting him get free.”
West Lauderdale scored a goal in each half. Kosciusko goalie Josh Gibson was able to get a hand on the first goal. “He just wasn't able to get enough of it to knock it over the goal.”
The second goal came off a free kick.
West Lauderdale girls have three players who have signed with Holmes Community College. “They did a really good job of controlling the ball and playing to their key players,” Cooper said. “We made a few adjustments during the game to slow them down, but we just weren't able to stop them. They played really, really well. You have to give it to them.”
The results left the Whippets 1-1 and the Lady Whippets 0-2 in Region 4-4A play. The top three teams from the six-team region will qualify for the playoffs.
Kosciusko played Newton County Tuesday and have home matches with Northeast Lauderdale Thursday and Ridgeland Saturday and a road game with Enterprise Clarke Monday. Newton County and Northeast Lauderdale are region games.
“It's like I always say. We have to meet the intensity of the other team and exceed it,” Cooper said. “On Friday (against West Lauderdale), we didn't do that.”
