Boys Soccer: ’Riders roll, 9-1

By Chris Miles

Sports Editor

CIRCLEVILLE — The West Jefferson boys soccer team opened the 2012 season with its third consecutive lopsided victory Tuesday night.

The Roughriders clobbered host Logan Elm, 9-1.

“We worked the ball really, really well tonight,” West Jeff coach Jay Hunter said. “I liked the way we finished.”

Austin Bare and Andrew Lewis netted three goals each, while Dallas McLean scored twice and Austin Murry once.

Madison-Plains 1,

Miami Trace 1

It shows up as a tie in the scorebook, but the Golden Eagles (1-1-1, 0-1-1 SCOL) came away from their league contest feeling pretty good about the way they played.

For more than a half of the contest, the home team controlled the ball and had the look of a team capable of challenging for a league title. But the final 35 minutes or so the team lacked the intensity needed to close strong and thus had to settle for the draw.

“The first half we played great,” coach Chris Kingery said. “The second half we just let it go.

“They just didn’t play the second half as hard as they played the first half.”

The Eagles were crisp and energetic in the first half and got a goal from sophomore Hunter Buton to take a 1-0 advantage.

Thanks to some key stops by junior goalkeeper Clay Hart, MPHS took the advantage to the lockerroom at the half.

But the squad in green and white that came out in the second half lacked the intensity needed the one in the first half had.

Jeff Litterall got the equalizer for the visitors halfway through the second half, when he floated a short over the outstretched hands of Hart in goal.

“The movement we had in the first half was phenomenal,” Kingery said. “That’s what we want to see. The second half we just came out flat.

“I’ve got a lot of new kids stepping up and playing well. We’re getting better. We just need to find a way to close better.”

Tree of Life 4,

Jonathan Alder 0

COLUMBUS — The Jonathan Alder boys soccer team couldn’t get anything out together on the road Tuesday at Tree of Life.

Washington 2,

London 1

The London boys soccer team lost a South Central Ohio League match to visiting Washington on Tuesday night.