Rabun Gap tops Wesleyan Christian 1-0
• Michael Lindsay | Enterprise Sports Writer
HIGH POINT — Wesleyan Christian hasn’t been playing to the level it would like. And the result against a good opponent reflected it.
Rabun Gap scored the lone goal of the match in the 47th minute. The Trojans tried hard to answer in the final minutes but fell, 1-0, in a meeting of NCISAA boys soccer powers Saturday at Wesleyan’s Sanford Field.
“We played poorly,” Wesleyan coach Scott Reitnour said. “I think we are in the process of learning what ‘play to a standard’ means. And each new group has to discover it for themselves. Some will and some won’t. The jury is out on this group.
“I believe they’ll figure it out. But, based on our performance in the last three matches, they have clearly not done so to date. Playing to a standard means that there are no big games and no small games. You get up for every single game. Young players think, ‘When the big games come, I’ll flip the switch.’ It doesn’t work that way.”
The match remained scoreless into halftime after the Trojans withstood the Eagles’ early chances — which included a pair of shots that hit off the goal frame during the opening 15 minutes.
But Rabun Gap (15-1-1) — which reached the final four the last two years, falling to Carmel Christian last year in the championship after losing to Wesleyan in the semifinals in 2019 — finally connected during the first few minutes of the second half.
Following a handball call, the Eagles sent the long free kick toward the penalty area. The ball deflected to the left side, where Rabun Gap knocked a header high over the goalkeeper and into the net.
“There are little details we’re missing,” Reitnour said. “On their goal, we were not goal-side, ball-side marking in our own penalty area. We talked at halftime about clearances and how we clear the ball, and it didn’t happen in the second half.
“So, when you make mistakes like that against a really good team like Rabun Gap, then you’re going to lose games. They capitalized on the moment. They found the moment and buried it. They were clinical on their goal.”
The Trojans (15-5-1), ranked No. 29 nationally, No. 7 in the state overall and No. 3 among NCISAA 4A teams, tried the net the equalizer — peppering the goal with opportunities.
They had a free kick from just outside the penalty area with 25 minutes left that deflected wide, plus a throw-in that bounced among a crowd of players right in front of the goal and ended up just beyond the goal frame.
The defense for Rabun Gap- ranked No. 37 nationally, No. 9 in the state overall and No. 4 among the NCISAA 4A teams — did just enough to disrupt Wesleyan offensively and keep it out of position for quality shots.
Duncan Bell made five saves in goal for the Trojans, who were outshot 14-10 for the match. Wesleyan will have the next week off before beginning the state playoffs, which will be seeded next weekend.
“On the one hand it would’ve been nice for us to have an additional match to try to play deeper into our roster,” Reitnour said. “On the other hand, having a full week of preparation on the heels of our poor performance the last three matches, it’s an opportunity for us to reboot.
“Interestingly, I feel confident because this group of boys is a coachable group, and I believe that they will respond. I also have a lot of confidence in our staff. We have a qualified entourage of coaches who will help these guys fix the things that need fixing to play to a standard as we head into the state playoffs.”
RABUN GAP 1 WESLEYAN 0
RGN : 0-1---1
WCA : 0-0---0
RABUN GAP 15-1-1 WESLEYAN 15-5-1
• Michael Lindsay | Enterprise Sports Writer
HIGH POINT — Wesleyan Christian hasn’t been playing to the level it would like. And the result against a good opponent reflected it.
Rabun Gap scored the lone goal of the match in the 47th minute. The Trojans tried hard to answer in the final minutes but fell, 1-0, in a meeting of NCISAA boys soccer powers Saturday at Wesleyan’s Sanford Field.
“We played poorly,” Wesleyan coach Scott Reitnour said. “I think we are in the process of learning what ‘play to a standard’ means. And each new group has to discover it for themselves. Some will and some won’t. The jury is out on this group.
“I believe they’ll figure it out. But, based on our performance in the last three matches, they have clearly not done so to date. Playing to a standard means that there are no big games and no small games. You get up for every single game. Young players think, ‘When the big games come, I’ll flip the switch.’ It doesn’t work that way.”
The match remained scoreless into halftime after the Trojans withstood the Eagles’ early chances — which included a pair of shots that hit off the goal frame during the opening 15 minutes.
But Rabun Gap (15-1-1) — which reached the final four the last two years, falling to Carmel Christian last year in the championship after losing to Wesleyan in the semifinals in 2019 — finally connected during the first few minutes of the second half.
Following a handball call, the Eagles sent the long free kick toward the penalty area. The ball deflected to the left side, where Rabun Gap knocked a header high over the goalkeeper and into the net.
“There are little details we’re missing,” Reitnour said. “On their goal, we were not goal-side, ball-side marking in our own penalty area. We talked at halftime about clearances and how we clear the ball, and it didn’t happen in the second half.
“So, when you make mistakes like that against a really good team like Rabun Gap, then you’re going to lose games. They capitalized on the moment. They found the moment and buried it. They were clinical on their goal.”
The Trojans (15-5-1), ranked No. 29 nationally, No. 7 in the state overall and No. 3 among NCISAA 4A teams, tried the net the equalizer — peppering the goal with opportunities.
They had a free kick from just outside the penalty area with 25 minutes left that deflected wide, plus a throw-in that bounced among a crowd of players right in front of the goal and ended up just beyond the goal frame.
The defense for Rabun Gap- ranked No. 37 nationally, No. 9 in the state overall and No. 4 among the NCISAA 4A teams — did just enough to disrupt Wesleyan offensively and keep it out of position for quality shots.
Duncan Bell made five saves in goal for the Trojans, who were outshot 14-10 for the match. Wesleyan will have the next week off before beginning the state playoffs, which will be seeded next weekend.
“On the one hand it would’ve been nice for us to have an additional match to try to play deeper into our roster,” Reitnour said. “On the other hand, having a full week of preparation on the heels of our poor performance the last three matches, it’s an opportunity for us to reboot.
“Interestingly, I feel confident because this group of boys is a coachable group, and I believe that they will respond. I also have a lot of confidence in our staff. We have a qualified entourage of coaches who will help these guys fix the things that need fixing to play to a standard as we head into the state playoffs.”
RABUN GAP 1 WESLEYAN 0
RGN : 0-1---1
WCA : 0-0---0
RABUN GAP 15-1-1 WESLEYAN 15-5-1
