Late Lord Botetourt rally downs WB in BRD game
VINTON – The William Byrd boys’ soccer team let one slip away last week as Lord Botetourt scored twice late in the game to win a key Blue Ridge District game. Botetourt won 3-2 in Daleville last Thursday.
Byrd missed a penalty kick in the first five minutes of the game and LB countered with a goal by Myles Wickham to take a 1-0 lead. However, Kevin O’Connor scored off an assist from Matt Guilliams and Byrd tied it up at 1-1 at the half.
Matthew Guilliams (#14) and Christian Moore (#4) pressure LB keeper Caleb Shockley around the goal mouth.
The Terriers took the lead on a goal by Kyle Hedrick, assisted by Tyler Goodman, and Byrd seemed to be in control with under 20 minutes on the clock, but LB’s Michael McBane hit a shot from 20 yards out that got the Cavaliers even at 2-2.
At this point momentum shifted and the Cavaliers started to threaten the Terriers’ net. It was back and forth a couple of times but the LB defense held and finally it was an Evan Lanford cross that Kolbe Adams redirected and Patrick Harris poked it in after a scramble in front of the net. That gave LB the lead with about 10 minutes to go.
“It was a good effort by their players,” said Byrd coach Jeff Highfill. “They just got to the ball quicker than we did.”
The Terriers outshot the Cavaliers 15-12 and had some good chances in the second half that came up short. It was a tough loss as Byrd dropped to 4-4 overall and 1-1 in the district.
“The good thing is, we still control our own destiny,” said Highfill. “If we win out the worst we can do is tie.”
With spring break this week Botetourt, Alleghany and Rockbridge are all 1-0 in the BRD, Byrd is 1-1, Staunton River is 0-1 and Northside is 0-2. Byrd will host Alleghany next Tuesday and that will be a key match. At one time the Terriers owned the Mountaineers, but Alleghany has been much improved in recent years. They opened the BRD with a 5-0 shutout of Northside.
“I expect them to come ready to play,” said Highfill. “They always get up to play us.”
