Prep notebook: Late heroics define the week in boys soccer

It will be hard for this week of boys soccer games to live up to last week.

Millbrook scored with 12 minutes to go to edge East Wake 2-1, Fuquay-Varina scored with 53 seconds left to beat Southeast Raleigh 2-1, Green Hope needed a PK with 8 minutes on the clock to beat Sanderson 2-1 and Western Harnett scored twice in the final three minutes for a 5-4 win against rival Overhills.

Fuquay’s comeback was jarring because it answered a Southeast Raleigh PK in just 11 seconds. A few quick passes sprung Fuquay-Varina’s Brandon Sylvester down the right flank, where he slotted in the game-winner.

“As a team you’ve got to focus, and I don’t think we focused after the goal. We kind of got lazy, got to celebrating,” Southeast coach Derek Teel said.

Cary Academy XC: The Cary Academy cross country teams fared well in the 43-team WNC Invitational in Hendersonville on Saturday. The boys finished second behind a runner-up finish by Coleman Mitchell and the girls were third as Sarah Bodmer and Emily Lane were in the top 10.

Early bird XC: Cleveland junior Gabe Derhsem and Riverside sophomore Ceara Gannon won individual titles at Saturday’s Early Bird cross country meet at Wendell Park.

Research Triangle’s Madison Daniel set the early pace, along with teammate Jack Puryear. The Raptors’ tandem was running 1-2 before Gable Dershem made his move during the second pass through the woods at Wendell Park.

“We got to the woods again, and my goal was to catch (Puryear),” Gable Dershem said. “Then I got up there and saw that I could catch (Daniel), too. I started out with a conservative pace and was waiting for my chance to make a move.”

Gannon used that same strategy in the girls race. She rolled to a victory with a personal-best time of 19:58.20, which was more than 49 seconds better than her previous top mark.

Corinth Holders’ Kayla Ste. Marie was second while Knightdale’s tandem of Aleena Cruz (20.38.08) and Rebecca Davis (20:43.92) claimed the third and fourth spots, respectively.

Corinth Holders won the boys and girls team competitions.

Clayton streak: Clayton’s girls’ tennis team has opened its season with matching 9-0 victories over Greater Neuse River Conference rivals East Wake and Harnett Central. The wins put the Comets’ conference dual-match winning streak at 80.

Carmelle Joyner, Katherine Riley, Crystal Anderson and Hannah Kellum all won in singles at love (6-0, 6-0) for Clayton against Central. Sydney Rushing and Jackie Rollins also had straight set singles wins.

High scoring: Heritage’s Logan Shytle had three goals and an assist in a 6-4 loss Thursday to Athens Drive. Brice Moltzon led the Jags with two goals and chipped in two assists. It was the most goals Athens (2-0) has scored in a game since a 7-0 victory in 2010 against Lee County.

Field hockey: Charlotte’s Providence Day School won the “Play 4 The Cure” field hockey championship Saturday at Cary Academy with an overtime victory against East Chapel Hill. After pool play, the tournament was divided into three brackets. Chapel Hill won the “blue bracket” and Winston-Salem’s R.J. Reynolds High won the “gold bracket.”

The tournament raised $2,785 which will be donated to the Susan G. Komen Foundation and “Vs. Cancer” foundations to battle pediatric cancer.

Jibrell Davis, Geoff Neville, Mike Mangan, John Lucas and D. Clay Best contributed to this report.

This story was originally published August 30, 2015 at 4:00 PM with the headline "Prep notebook: Late heroics define the week in boys soccer."