TRIBUNE/Matthew Gorry
Starmount senior Chandler Chappell has scored six goals and recorded two assists in the Rams’ first three games of the season.
BOONVILLE - Senior captain Chandler Chappell found the back of the net two more times Monday night to lead Starmount to a 2-2 tie with West Stokes.
“We probably played the worst first half of this season, but we righted the ship in the second half and played our style of soccer,” head coach Dale Draughn explained. “We will use this as a learning point and move forward. It is not a loss or a win but a tie and we learn from it.
“West Stokes is the best team we have played to this point in the season and it was a good test for us heading into conference play next week at Forbush,” he added.
Chappell knotted the game at 1-1 with a goal early in the second half against the Wildcats on the assist by Jonathan Catalan.
Later in the half, the senior was fouled hard in the box on a high kick to the face. Chappell recovered and put the penalty kick in the right corner past the keeper to give the Rams a 2-1 advantage.
West Stokes scored the equalizer on a penalty kick later in the half. But neither squad was able to find the game-winning goal in a “frantic back and forth second half,” resulting in the 2-2 draw.
Draughn said the Rams got a “much-needed boost” from JV-call-up Collin Benfield, playing in his first varsity game of the season .
Chappell’s two goals continued his red-hot start to the season. The senior found the back of the net four times last Wednesday to lead Starmount to a dominating 6-2 victory over Thomasville.
Chappell scored twice in the first half to give the Rams a 2-1 advantage at the break. Early in the second, the senior broke down the right sideline and hit a rocket in the upper 90 to complete the hat trick.
The Bulldogs hung around, scoring minutes later to trim the lead to 3-2, but Catalan and Chappell scored back-to-back goals to extend the lead to 5-2.
With less than a minute to play, Juan Noveron scored from a deep free kick to put the finishing touches on the Rams’ second win of the young season.
Daniel Stinson added seven saves in goal, while Ruben Salazar, Nathan Walker, Jacob Shores and Catalan recorded an assist.
Starmount opened its season with a hard-fought 3-2 win over Mount Airy last Monday night and now sit at 2-0-1.
Catalan, Salazar and Luis Luna found the back of the net to lead the Rams to the victory, with Chappell pitching in a pair of assists.
Starmount returns to action tonight with a non-conference tilt against Davie County.
The Rams JV team is 2-0 on the year after topping Mount Airy 5-0 and edging Thomasville 3-2.
Reach Matthew Gorry at 835-1513 or mgorry@heartlandpublications.com.
Post a Comment
