Knights’ dominance continues
Wells, Johnson trigger Greenfield rout of Community Christian 7-1
By Tom Ham
Senior Staff Writer WILSON DAILY TIMESAction
The Greenfield School varsity boys soccer team took its dominance of its inner-city rivalry with Community Christian School to a new dimension on the CCS pitch Thursday night.
With the private or independent schools competing as North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association 1-A Coastal Plain Independents Conference rivals for the first time, the senior duo of James Wells and Logan Johnson combined for five goals and five assists to lead the Knights to a 7-1 triumph and keep their team undefeated against the Cyclones.
Rampaging Greenfield soared to 3-0 in the CPIC and to 9-1-1 overall. Community Christian, a first-year CPIC member, dropped to 1-2 and 2-7, respectively.
Years and years of Wells and Johnson playing together yielded huge dividends. Wells netted a hat trick-plus one (four goals), clicking with Johnson for his last three goals in a span of six minutes in the second half. Johnson amassed one goal on a penalty kick and doled out four assists.
“They have been playing together since they were little,” noted Greenfield head coach Randol Mendoza of Wells and Johnson. “They have a good understanding of one another; I’ve never seen one without the other. That relationship helps on the soccer field.”
Added Wells: “Logan got the ball in a bunch of space, turned and sent it to me. We timed our plays perfectly.”
The Knights owned a 2-0 halftime margin and were leading 4-0 when the Wells-Johnson combo turned the match into a rout.
Wells fielded a lengthy pass from Johnson and chipped the ball over onrushing Cyclones senior goalkeeper Davis Stone with slightly over 12 minutes remaining. Less than four minutes later, Wells finished another lengthy pass from Johnson. The pair tormented the Cyclones again slightly over two minutes left.
Community Christian averted a shutout with slightly over three minutes remaining when sophomore Tripp Everette finished a run with a shot to the right side of the net — and well beyond the reach of senior Greenfield keeper Cedric Kirby.
Greenfield wound up with a 25-8 margin in shots despite the efforts of Stone and junior defender Griffin Dunlap.
“We could have done a lot better,” Dunlap contended. “We could have challenged the ball more, intercept the ball and prevent them from going so far down.”
Added second-year CCS head coach Monica Mills: “We broke down and it just wasn’t defensively. We had some good opportunities and did not put them away. They’re a good team.”
Johnson opened the scoring with a penalty kick following a handball violation with approximately 15 minutes elapsed. Some 10 minutes later, sophomore Alonso Hernandez converted an assist from Johnson.
Sophomore Jackson Stone’s blast from some 20 yards launched Greenfield’s second-half assault. Three minutes later, Wells knocked in his first goal on an assist from Stone. Then came the Wells-Johnson show.
“I think we got them tired in the first half by switching points of attack and going from side to side,” Wells explained. “They continued to stay spread out and we found the gaps.”
The Knights also flirted with a shutout behind a wave of defenders — Kirby, junior Cullen Wells, junior Davis Currin, junior Kris Castete, junior Alex Rodriguez, Hernandez, sophomore Patrick Smith, junior Auston Dew and sophomore Thorp Smith.
Players and coaches from both teams consider themselves involved in a bonafide rivalry.
“Any school in the city is a rival,” Wells declared, “and you don’t ever want to lose to them.”
In regard to the Knights and Cyclones now playing in the same conference, Wells responded: “You want to be at the top of the conference and put all the teams away.”
Commented Mendoza: “When it’s a team in the same city, it’s considered a rival. Bragging rights are involved.”
Mills expressed: “You should have a rivalry. I think us being in the same conference means more to the kids It makes it more interesting. I’m glad we play them again.”
And as the Cyclones’ Dunlap noted: “It’s one of the games you always go to win. There’s always next year (actually next week for a rematch).”
Wells, Johnson trigger Greenfield rout of Community Christian 7-1
By Tom Ham
Senior Staff Writer WILSON DAILY TIMESAction
The Greenfield School varsity boys soccer team took its dominance of its inner-city rivalry with Community Christian School to a new dimension on the CCS pitch Thursday night.
With the private or independent schools competing as North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association 1-A Coastal Plain Independents Conference rivals for the first time, the senior duo of James Wells and Logan Johnson combined for five goals and five assists to lead the Knights to a 7-1 triumph and keep their team undefeated against the Cyclones.
Rampaging Greenfield soared to 3-0 in the CPIC and to 9-1-1 overall. Community Christian, a first-year CPIC member, dropped to 1-2 and 2-7, respectively.
Years and years of Wells and Johnson playing together yielded huge dividends. Wells netted a hat trick-plus one (four goals), clicking with Johnson for his last three goals in a span of six minutes in the second half. Johnson amassed one goal on a penalty kick and doled out four assists.
“They have been playing together since they were little,” noted Greenfield head coach Randol Mendoza of Wells and Johnson. “They have a good understanding of one another; I’ve never seen one without the other. That relationship helps on the soccer field.”
Added Wells: “Logan got the ball in a bunch of space, turned and sent it to me. We timed our plays perfectly.”
The Knights owned a 2-0 halftime margin and were leading 4-0 when the Wells-Johnson combo turned the match into a rout.
Wells fielded a lengthy pass from Johnson and chipped the ball over onrushing Cyclones senior goalkeeper Davis Stone with slightly over 12 minutes remaining. Less than four minutes later, Wells finished another lengthy pass from Johnson. The pair tormented the Cyclones again slightly over two minutes left.
Community Christian averted a shutout with slightly over three minutes remaining when sophomore Tripp Everette finished a run with a shot to the right side of the net — and well beyond the reach of senior Greenfield keeper Cedric Kirby.
Greenfield wound up with a 25-8 margin in shots despite the efforts of Stone and junior defender Griffin Dunlap.
“We could have done a lot better,” Dunlap contended. “We could have challenged the ball more, intercept the ball and prevent them from going so far down.”
Added second-year CCS head coach Monica Mills: “We broke down and it just wasn’t defensively. We had some good opportunities and did not put them away. They’re a good team.”
Johnson opened the scoring with a penalty kick following a handball violation with approximately 15 minutes elapsed. Some 10 minutes later, sophomore Alonso Hernandez converted an assist from Johnson.
Sophomore Jackson Stone’s blast from some 20 yards launched Greenfield’s second-half assault. Three minutes later, Wells knocked in his first goal on an assist from Stone. Then came the Wells-Johnson show.
“I think we got them tired in the first half by switching points of attack and going from side to side,” Wells explained. “They continued to stay spread out and we found the gaps.”
The Knights also flirted with a shutout behind a wave of defenders — Kirby, junior Cullen Wells, junior Davis Currin, junior Kris Castete, junior Alex Rodriguez, Hernandez, sophomore Patrick Smith, junior Auston Dew and sophomore Thorp Smith.
Players and coaches from both teams consider themselves involved in a bonafide rivalry.
“Any school in the city is a rival,” Wells declared, “and you don’t ever want to lose to them.”
In regard to the Knights and Cyclones now playing in the same conference, Wells responded: “You want to be at the top of the conference and put all the teams away.”
Commented Mendoza: “When it’s a team in the same city, it’s considered a rival. Bragging rights are involved.”
Mills expressed: “You should have a rivalry. I think us being in the same conference means more to the kids It makes it more interesting. I’m glad we play them again.”
And as the Cyclones’ Dunlap noted: “It’s one of the games you always go to win. There’s always next year (actually next week for a rematch).”
