Lady Jags defeat Madison County for the first time in 10 years
On Mar. 12, the Cedar Shoals varsity girls’ soccer team welcomed the Madison County Red Raiders to Waters-Wilkins Stadium, as both teams looked to bounce back from losses. The Lady Jags secured their third region victory of the season, dominating from start to finish in a 5-1 rout.
“We’ve been on a streak lately, not really in the win column but in regards to good performances,” head coach Alley Howell said. “I think that gives us some momentum, some confidence, and we hope to use that in our future games.”
Sophomore Zulma Valdivieso-Gutierrez had another great performance, scoring four goals and increasing her season total to 23. Alongside Valdivieso-Gutierrez, junior defender Finn McGreevy also scored for the Lady Jags, her second of the season.
With their star player and all-time leading goal scorer, senior attacker Emma Chason, out with an MCL injury, the Red Raiders struggled to get anything going offensively. They were held scoreless until the later stages of the second half.
“We set up a game plan and we executed it perfectly,” Howell said. “A lot of people touched the ball on each possession, and if you can do that in girls’ soccer you’re going to be successful.”
This was Cedar’s first win against Madison County after 10 straight losses to the Red Raiders, as the Jaguars girls’ soccer program continues their rapid rise to prominence.
“I’m extremely excited about the result,” Howell said. “The team showed a lot of heart, and I think we can use this against them (Madison County) in the future.”
With the victory, the Lady Jags improved to 5-6 on the season, as they look to set their best season record in a decade for the second year in a row. The Red Raiders drop to 6-5, with an underwhelming 1-4 record in region play, as they’ve been outscored 9-27 by their region foes.
The Jags are back in action Friday, March 15 at home against the Seckinger High School Jaguars in a game for mascot superiority. Kickoff is at 7:30, and tickets are available on GoFan.
