PIGEON FORGE – For much of the first half it felt like the Chuckey-Doak soccer team was running into a wall at Pigeon Forge. The Lady Black Knights kept finding chances, but could not find a way to break through.
As the game went to halftime coach Anna Ricker reminded her team to stay focused and that Pigeon Forge was hardly their toughest opponent this week. Over the final 20 minutes Chuckey-Doak scored four times for a 4-0 win that secured the top seed in the upcoming District 1-A Tournament.
“Emotionally the first half was really tough on the girls. They weren’t mentally in the game, and physically they were exhausted,” Ricker said. “At halftime I encouraged them to keep fighting, you are going to be tired but you have to fight. The people of our community are fighting right now, and we had to have that same type of fight. It wasn’t easy, but that is what these girls did.”
With flooding in the area the Chuckey-Doak community has been hit particularly hard. As bridges in Greene County collapsed into the Nolichucky River last week while Hurricane Helene ravaged the area Ricker and three of her players were left on what they are now calling “The Island”.
Ricker has been picking up those girls to go to practice, but now the commute takes more than an hour as they must travel to the Asheville Highway Bridge near South Greene to make it to Chuckey-Doak.
Greene County has been without running water all week, and many in the county are without other basic needs. Pigeon Forge coach Bill Mosley took note of that and stepped up in a big way for the Lady Knights.
In what was his team’s biggest game of the regular season, and on their senior night, Mosley and the Lady Tigers took Chuckey-Doak out to dinner after the game. Pigeon Forge arranged hotel rooms for the Lady Knights as well, so that they could take showers on Thursday night and Friday morning. In addition to that the Lady Tigers put togethers bags of toiletries and sent Chuckey-Doak to their hotel with home-made desserts.
For Ricker one passage of scripture came to mind when reflecting on Pigeon Forge’s generosity during Chuckey-Doak’s trying time, Romans 12:13.
“Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.”
In Ricker’s mind Pigeon Forge soccer is living the passage.
“Coach Mosley and I have coached against each other for years, and we have built a good friendship and rivalry,” Ricker said. “They have stepped up above and beyond any expectation I could ever have. I think its really important to remember that we can battle on the field and play our hardest, and we still be friends once the game is over. He has really shown that tonight.”
On the field the Lady Black Knights and the Lady Tigers played to a deadlock in the first half. Chuckey-Doak controlled possessions and let plenty of shots fly, but none of them could beat keeper Mia Woodrick.
With the game scoreless at the start of the second half the Lady Tigers ratcheted up the pressure and sent the attack at Chuckey-Doak. Despite good looks from Savannah Howard and Ava Miller the Lady Black Knights were able to turn things away.
In the middle of the defense Trinity Hengel stood strong and Tavyn Southerland swept away a few dangerous balls in front of keeper Marci Merrill. On the outside Kennah Marshall, Emma Hoxie and Khloe Henderson also provided strong efforts. Aliah Campbell and Addy Bradley provided plenty of assistance from the midfield as well.
“I think Trinity Hengel was pivotal in the second half. She started roaming and sending balls forward, and when that happened things started to change for us,” Ricker said. “The defense played great as group while Pigeon Foreg had the momentum. Then I have to give a lot of credit to Tavyn Southerland, she was so strong at sweeper, like always. Aliah Campbell really picked it up in the second half. I think my seniors really stepped up when we needed them to.”
On the offensive end of the field Layla Fox changed the momentum of the game with a tough goal in the 60th minute. Lindsey Rojas flicked a pass ahead to the senior striker, and Fox refused to be denied as she charged at the frame while bouncing off a trio of defenders. She found enough space at 12 yards from the right side of the box and pounded a shot inside the left post.
“That was Layla being Layla,” Ricker said. “That one play sparked everything else. We needed something to happen, and she came through and put one in the back of the net. She has done that all year. She gives us that spark, and after that we looked like us.”
Three minutes later Rojas and Fox worked the ball ahead but Pigeon Forge’s Makayle Stalcup turned away the shot. Hailey Williams followed with a corner kick from the right side. Fox put a head on it but Woodrick stopped that attempt. The spill dropped at the feet of Betsie Ramirez and she punched it home for a 2-0 lead.
The Lady Black Knights were not done and in the 76th minute Southerland boomed a pass ahead from the back end. It sailed over every Lady Tiger and found Williamson. Woodrick came out of the frame to challenge Williamson one-on-one but the Lady Knight sent a high-arcing shot over the keeper’s head and just under the cross bar.
In the final minute Williamson blasted in a rebound that arrived at her feet at the top of the box to set the final margin at 4-0.
Chuckey-Doak and Pigeon Forge both entered Thursday’s game unbeaten in District 1-A play and Ricker is hopeful that her squad gains some confidence heading into he postseason after the hard-fought win.
“These girls played tough as nails, and they have worked so hard,” Ricker said. “I don’t think many people expected us to be in this position after what we lost last year. I’m super proud of these girls, sometimes they just refuse to lose. It’s going to be tough going forward, and we are going need our seniors to lead us. And I think those seniors showed they can do that tonight.”
