The Greeneville soccer team laid claim to the top seed in the upcoming District 2-AA Tournament on Tuesday night by taking down Cherokee 7-0.
Both teams came into Tuesday’s game with a 4-0 record in district play, but Greeneville dominated for all 80 minutes and left no doubt about who is the top team in the league.
“I felt like we played a strong game against a competitive Cherokee team,” Greeneville coach Jerry Graham said. “They were 10-1 coming into this game, and we knew they would give us a fight. But our movement was really good and that created a lot of opportunities for several different people. We always want to play on our home field, and winning tonight allows us to do that in the postseason. And I think this can be a good confidence boost.”
The Greene Devils had to call on their bench to break the ice on Tuesday. Through the first 15 minutes Sam Gourley, Simon Holt and Emerson Hensley all had good looks at the frame, but they could not find the right touch. In the 16th minute Gourley sent a pass ahead to Jude Dyer who rushed into the box from the right side and sent a shot across the face of keeper Collin Fugate for a 1-0 lead.
Greeneville’s lead grew to 2-0 when Gourley made a solo run at the frame. He got near the end line and had no other option but to shoot. So, he took a tough-angle shot and somehow got it to go in.
In the 33rd minute Simon Holt was fouled in the box and awarded a penalty kick. On the one-on-one shot Holt skipped a ball into the lower right corner of the frame to give Greeneville a 3-0 lead before halftime.
It took Greeneville 16 minutes to score its first goal in the first half on Tuesday, but the Greene Devils started the second half on fire and scored four goals in the first 17 minutes after intermission.
“I think we just started finishing the opportunities we had in the first half. We talked at halftime about pressing their outside backs and forcing some turnovers on our end. That got a couple of opportunities. Our passing patterns and movement off the ball was really good in the second half,” Graham said.
That scoring barrage started in the 46th minute when Hensley sent a lead pass ahead to Gourley who made a run up the right side of the formation. He got into the 18-yard box and fired his shot from 10 yards into the left post.
The Greene Devils pushed their led to 5-0 in the 49th minute. Cristian Banegas took away possession just outside of the 18-yard box and quickly slid a pass to Gourley. Gourley found Hensley charging in and slipped him the ball before he finished from eight yards.
Three minutes later Gourley made another attacking run and sent a good look at the frame but the Chiefs turned it away. Holt stepped to the rebound and rocketed it into the back of the net for a 6-0 lead.
In the 57th minute Banegas got Greeneville started again when he lobbed in a cross from the left side. Remi Elyze-Vital came charging in and leaped over the defense to head home the final goal of the night.
In the contest Greeneville outshot the Chiefs 28-1, and the Devils’ defense limited Cherokee to just one shot on goal.
“I felt like our defense did a really good job,” Graham said. “Carter Raby, Weston McGill and of course Landen Creech with his communication back there were really big tonight.”
Gourley finished with two goals and two assists. Holt scored twice for Greeneville.
Greeneville will be back in action on Thursday against Hardin Valley.
