by Mark Schmerling
Led by forward Samantha (Sam) Firby, Megan Clements and Lyric Flood, Polk County High School defeated Landrum 3-1 in soccer at Campobello on Monday, March 31.
Polk is now 9-2.
Landrum struck first, with less than five minutes gone in the first half, but Clements, with an assist by Firby, booted one in to tie the score with just under four minutes remaining in that period.
After Flood barely missed a few shots on goal (one of which she drilled off the top bar), she fed Firby who scored the go-ahead goal with about 19 minutes to go in the second half. With much of the action shifted to Landrum’s half of the field, Firby booted in her second goal, and the Wolverine’s third, on Clements’s assist.
Wolverine coach Lennox Charles was pleased that his team faced an opponent who made the Wolverines work hard.
“It was a little rough at first,” Charles admitted, “but it was a good game for us.” Referring to the Cardinals, Charles said, “They’re aggressive. They (Landrum) did a good job on balls in the air (with good heading). We had to match that.”
He also said, “They’re (the Cardinals) a lot better than they were last year. In the second half, we did a lot better controlling the game.”
With Polk becoming more aggressive, Polk’s goalkeeper Kara Overholt needed to make only five saves, one on a free kick, plus one on a hard shot by a Cardinal player.
On Wednesday, April 2 the Wolverines travelled to Hendersonville.
Saturday, April 5 is Alumni Games. Next Monday, April 9 the Wolverines host Madison. They visit Mountain Heritage on April 9.