Lady Falcons win; Oxford back in
- Updated: April 30, 2018
Donoho’s girls score a second-half goal to earn their first playoff victory; Oxford’s boys reinstated to playoff after Cullman booted
By East Alabama Sports Today
BIRMINGHAM – The Donoho girls soccer team won its first ever state playoff game Monday night when Altamont discovered the Lady Falcons are more than just Lily Wiedmer.
The Lady Knights tenaciously marked the Donoho scoring machine, but a pair of eighth-graders teamed up early in the second half for the game’s only goal that gave the once-beaten Lady Falcons a 1-0 victory.
Donoho (16-1) will now play the winner of Tuesday night’s Sylvania-Mars Hill match in the second round of the Class 1A-3A playoffs Friday at 5 p.m.
“We’re saying it’s the first win,” Donoho coach Jay Jenkins said. “It’s part of our goal. We wanted to be here. We expected to be here.
“Winning at Altamont is never easy, but it’s nice to get one and it came from some unusual suspects – two eighth-graders.”
The Lady Knights were overprotecting against Wiedmer, who has 53 goals this season. Defensive midfielder Madison Brown played the ball into a gap, Kathleen Seals split the defenders, made keeper Rachel Wright move and put the ball into the side netting.
The Lady Knights managed to keep Wiedmer for scoring for the first time this season by marking her with one player and posting two others at the 18 to keep her out of the box. But that didn’t stop her from trying. She took about a dozen shots and Wright twice stopped her from point blank.
“They clearly had seen film on us,” Jenkins said. “I think everybody does that with us right now. They figure if they can stop Lily they can stop us. That’s not always the case.
“We played great defense tonight, all the girls on the back line. All my girls played their best game. They only had two good shots. One was pretty routine and the other was a spectacular save.”
Donoho keeper Maggie Wakefield made a reaction save with five minutes to play, using her left hand to punch away a ball that seemed destined to score, preserving the shut out. The Lady Falcons have given up only 11 goals all season.
Oxford boys back in playoffs, host Florence Tuesday
MONTGOMERY – Cullman High School has been fined, placed on probation for one year and ordered to forfeit its 1-0 first-round boys’ playoff win over Oxford for violating AHSAA eligibility rules.
The AHSAA said the school self-reported the violation.
Cullman played an ineligible student in violation of the AHSAA Outside Participation Rule, which states a student who is a member of any school athletic team (grades 7-12) may not participate (includes practice) on a non-school team in the same sport during the school season in that sport.
Oxford receives the win and will host Florence 7 p.m. Tuesday in the second round of the Class 6A state soccer playoffs. Florence crushed Decatur 8-2. Cullman’s season is now completed.
Monday’s Playoff Scores
GIRLS
Class 1A-3A
Donoho 1, Altamont 0
West Morgan 9, Whitesburg Christian 0
Class 4A-5A
Springville 2, Leeds 0
Class 7A
Enterprise 3, Auburn 2
Fairhope 2, Baker 0
McGill-Toolen Catholic 10, Alma Bryant 2
Vestavia Hills 7, Oak Mountain 3
BOYS
Class 1A-3A
Altamont 9, Donoho 0
Westminster-Oak Mountain 12, Montevallo 0
West Morgan 8, Whitesburg Christian 1
Class 4A-5A
Arab 3, Leeds 0
Montgomery Catholic 3, Andalusia 1
Class 7A
Auburn 3, Enterprise 2
Vestavia Hills 3, Oak Mountain 2
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