Some might say the Patrick Henry boys soccer team made good use of their home field advantage when they hosted Atlee last Wednesday, but by the time everything was said and done, the game was nothing short of a blow-out.
  Although Atlee began by taking a strong command of the field, the Raiders couldn’t capitalize on an early break-out toward the goal and paid for it as the game went on. 

  “It started off with them owning the match” said Patriots’ head coach, Daniel McGraw “Our opponent should have scored off the first kick-off where they had a beautiful opportunity.  Luckily our defense followed it. They cleaned it out.”
  As a result, the slow offensive start by Atlee allowed Patrick Henry to get into their flow. “We weren’t able to possess as much in the start; but when we settled down, calmed down, we were able to pass the ball, move the ball a little bit better; and really, switching of the play,” McGraw said. “Many, many times, Britton [Cocke], Karl [Braun]; my center men; they got to the ball, made an attempt to go one direction, turned their back switching the field, and that really caught our opponent off-guard, I think.”

  Patriot defenders recovered and Atlee lost momentum nine minutes in when senior middy Brad Rodgers scored across the middle from 10 meters to catch the right corner.  Rodgers was able to capitalize from a blocked shot taken from senior midfielder and Patriots captain Britton Cocke.  From that point the Raiders tried to play catch-up, but the wily PH defense kept switching up and generating plays to open up more scoring opportunities. 

  According to Cocke, team play gave the Patriots an edge. “We really just worked together and never stopped fighting for each other,” he said. “We work as a team really well…the best we’ve had in a while.  We have good chemistry.  Our goalie, he’s been key point.  Our center back, Joe Cofer; he’s been on point.  It’s just a team effort really.  Everyone has been doing really, really well.  Even our people that come off the bench—everyone.”

  For Atlee head coach Steve Thompson, the game was a little rough.  “We started pretty strong, possessed okay,” he said. “But then we got away from that.  Got into a physical match, and we kind of went into a shell.  So, we need to go back and work on that.”

  Atlee managed to even the score with three-and-a-half minutes left in the first when senior forward Jordan Boothe chipped in a shot from congestion 18 meters out. 

  With seconds remaining in the first period, the Patriots retaliated with a hard shot-on-goal which the Raiders’ senior keeper Michael McCabe successfully repelled.  But as the second period began, PH asserted their lead two and a half minutes in from a Karl Braun header set up by Cocke.  “Getting those big switches allowed the middle to open up and luckily we got a few shots in,” McGraw said. 

  Beset with a persistent and changeable PH defense, (not to mention, some great saves by PH senior keeper Michael Graf) the Raiders were denied any more net time. 

  Continuing to switch up on the baffled Raiders the Pats proved too much for the gun-shy Raiders with scores from senior mid Doug Kofer from 20 meters and a Cocke assist; a long goal from junior forward Robert Torrence from 25 meters; and finally a short center field shot from Cocke assisted by junior mid Sean Kellogg. 

  For Thompson, most of the elements were there for the Raiders, but at least one was lacking.  “We possessed the ball well,” he said. “We swung it around the back and got into the midfield okay.  It’s just that last touch; that last touch to get us going forward; or the finishing touch when we get in…that was not there tonight.  [The boys] seemed a little cautious for reasons unknown.  I don’t know why.  We’ve played two strong teams to this point.  Patrick Henry being the third.  We had (Mills E.) Godwin on Friday and Lee-Davis on Tuesday, so the season has not been a cupcake going in.  They were all strong games going in, so hopefully that will set us up for Districts.”

Atlee ...................................... 1 0—1
Patrick Henry…..................... 1 4—5
PH: D. Cofer, Cocke, Rogers, Torrence, Braun A: Boothe Saves: Graf (PH) 3; McCabe (A) 4 Records: Patrick Henry 3-0; Atlee 1-2

For video highlights of this game see the latest episode of The Score.