Boys high school soccer: Ocala Forest wins a shutout rematch against Trinity Catholic
After playing to a tie the first time Forest and Trinity Catholic met on the pitch this young soccer season, this time the Wildcats recorded a 2-0 shutout on their home field Tuesday night.
The first Forest (4-0-1) goal came 36 minutes into the match. A speeding Elijah Meade was streaking down the middle of the field and couldn’t be stopped by the Celtics (1-1-1).
The next goal came from Brantley Wigginton. The junior scored midway through the second half. He raced down the left side of the goal line for the finishing touches on a statement win.
“It was a tough one … We had our chances but didn’t take the opportunity. They took their’s, and you have to give it to them,” said Trinity Catholic head coach Gary Saint Fleur.
Both teams have noticeable takeaways from their rematch. Let’s get into what separated these two.
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Both teams have noticeable takeaways from their rematch. Let’s get into what separated these two.
Physicality leads to injuries
On most physical levels, soccer is under a non-contact sport. For anyone who has watched a few minutes of high-level games, they know contact is part of the sport.
Both teams made that very clear early Tuesday night, yet Forest had a larger presence. The Wildcats applied pressure and made Trinity Catholic ball handlers feel their presence all game.
The physicality resulted in two injuries for the Celtics. Both players would return to play after consulting with the trainer.
“The physicality needs to be there. It’s a sport, not a game,” Forest coach Jason Wigginton said.
Freshman goalkeeper shines in shutout
Forest has allowed one goal through five games. Incidentally, Trinity Catholic is the only team to score on the Wildcats. On Tuesday night, the Wildcats righted that wrong.
All four of the Wildcats’ wins have come without their opponents scoring a point. Freshman goalkeeper Garrett Smith recorded eight saves against Trinity Catholic.
“Shutouts are really important to us. A win without a shutout is not a win,” Wigginton said.
The Forest coaching staff is excited about its young goalkeeper. He’ll have four years to improve and help the Wildcats continue their defensive tactics.
Trinity Catholic’s first loss
Saint Fleur noticed the difference in his team’s play. They didn’t look like the same team that tied one of the most talented teams in the county 11 days earlier.
It’s hard to tell if Forest pressing harder or the Thanksgiving Week layover stunted their play. Consistency waxes and wanes at this level.
“Last time we played them, we tired, and we’re able to play them 50/50. Tonight our guys in the midfield weren’t able to do it,” Saint Fleur said.
The Celtics will return to the drawing board before they play Fort White on Thursday. A hard day in practice should be all they need to regain their physicality and rejoin the winner’s circle.
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Forest Wildcats post fourth shutout with 2-0 win over Trinity Catholic
