PHS boys, girls featured in regional semifinals

By KERRY PATRICK, Sports Writer

PARKERSBURG — Even though the soccer programs from Parkersburg High School have registered decisive road victories over their upcoming regional semifinal opponents, they won’t take anything for granted.

In a doubleheader scheduled tonight at Stadium Field, the PHS girls entertain Cabell Midland followed by the Big Red boys taking on Huntington in the nightcap. The girls game is set for a 5 p.m. start.

“I’m reminding the guys over these last 24 hours that there are only four games left in the state of West Virginia playoffs, and we’ve worked too doggone hard all year not to have the proper mental attitude going into this game,” PHS boys coach Don Fosselman said.

In its only regular season meeting with Huntington back on Aug. 25, the PHS boys scored the first three goals, including two by Ryan Grant, to defeat the Highlanders 7-1.

“They’re not that bad and we’re not that good,” Fosselman said. “It was 98 degrees out and we’re playing on a Saturday afternoon. We got a goal real quick goal (by Adam Alleman) and then we got a second goal — you could see the life coming out of them.

“Huntington is well-coached and well-disciplined. They do their set pieces well. Unless they change tactically, they like to push it up.”

Matt Gray, who scored the eventual game-winning goal on a penalty kick in a 2-1 sectional final win over top-ranked Huntington St. Joe last week, also converted on a penalty kick for the Highlanders’ only goal against PHS. Huntington currently owns a 12-8 record.

As long as the defenders continue to do perform their duties, PHS goalkeeper Brent McGee is confident the 18-2-2 Big Reds can post another victory. The Big Reds have outscored their two postseason opponents 15-0, including a 1-0 win against South for the regional championship.

“I assume (Huntington) obviously got better since the last time we played them because they’ve beaten Huntington St. Joe and George Washington,” McGee said. “We need to come out strong and can’t take them lightly — the same way we came out and played South.”

On the girls side, Cabell Midland gave PHS all kinds of its for the first half back on Sept. 29. The Big Reds, behind goals from Elizabeth Lockney, Kathleen Roberts, Emma Levin-Nielsen and Taylor Bryant, managed to pull away for a 4-1 win.

“It was a very physical game when we played them,” PHS girls coach Mike Lockney said. “The score does not reflect how close the game was. They will be a real challenge for us.”

The Big Reds improved to 18-1-1 after escaping a shootout victory over Parkersburg South on Saturday.

“Cabell Midland played their sectional final on Thursday, so they have had a couple more days to rest,” Lockney said. “But we are pretty deep and we have some players we can put in to give our starters a break now and then, so I don’t think that will be an issue.”

The winner of the PHS-Cabell Midland girls match advances to Thursday’s regional final in Huntington against the winner of Winfield and Sissonville. The winner of the PHS-Huntington boys match meets the survivor of the Hurricane-Point Pleasant match in Thursday’s regional final at Huntington.

Tuesday, October 23, 2007