Lady Cards capture top seed

White scores 3 as South Laurel rolls past Middlesboro, 5-0

By Denis House

The goals came quickly (two in less than a minute), from an unlikely source (Kayse Cornett), and from a proven scorer (Katie White) in South Laurel’s 5-0 win over Middlesboro Thursday.

White led the way, tallying a hat trick in the first half, while Cornett and Sloane Salisbury added second half goals in the Lady Cards’ win.

“This is the first time, since early in the season, that we’ve put two halves together,” coach Todd White said. “I think the freshmen are getting more confidence. The injuries we’ve had might have helped the younger girls grow.”

South Laurel (7-7-2) was still without the services of Kayla Cornett and Jessie Perkins. Cornett should be back by Saturday, while Perkins is out until at least the district tournament. Add to the fact that Ginger Johnson is still not 100 percent from her ankle injury, and Salisbury has been playing on a fractured ankle, the .500 record isn’t all that bad.

“The injuries have hurt, but I’ve had some freshmen really step up,” White said. “Sarah DeCarlo has been my most consistent freshman, while my other Kayla Cornett has also been playing well.”

While her twin sister may be out with an injury, junior Kayse Cornett, better known for her defensive skills, showed a flair for scoring against Middlesboro, when her goal in the 54th minute capped off the scoring for South Laurel.

Kelsey Jones, who played a strong match, won a ball that Middlesboro tried to clear, to dropped it back to Cornett, who blasted the ball off one touch from 16 yards out that beat the keeper. Jones also assisted on White’s second goal, when she sent a beautiful cross in from the left side that White was able to direct into the goal.

“In the first three minutes that I moved Kayse up, she gets a goal,” White said. “We’ve been trying to move her up more, especially on corners, because she’ll put her head on the ball.”

Another move that paid off was moving Salisbury to her natural midfield position. For several games this year, she has been playing a more defensive role. But her play making skills were evident against the Yellowjackets.

“I’ve had to use Sloane more defensively against some of the stronger teams we’ve played,” White said. “Sometimes you have to coach depending on who you are playing.”

South’s first goal came in the 7th minute, as Ginger Johnson sent a through ball to White for a 1-0 lead. Just seconds later, it was White again, off the cross from Jones, for a 2-0 lead.

White finished off the first half scoring at the half hour mark, when Johnson again sent a nice through ball that White ran onto. The Middlesboro keeper came out to try and collect the ball, who White was able to touch it around her and put the ball in the empty goal.

“Katie feels she needs to burden the scoring load, with all the injuries we’ve had,” White said.

South made it 4-0 in the 41st minute, when Johnson crossed the ball from the left side to White, who touched it back to Salisbury. She finished the play with a beautiful goal.

Jones had three good chances for a goal, but in the 43rd minute she hit the side netting, the 46th, just over the crossbar, then in the 69th, when White was taken down in the area for a South Laurel penalty kick. But Jones sent the ball over the goal. This still didn’t diminish her quality play throughout the match.

The Lady Cards continued to fire away on the Middlesboro goal, but five goals would be their limit. Defensively, Middlesboro (2-6-1) rarely had a chance to score, with South keeper Stephanie Fawbush mainly touching the ball when it was played back to her from the defense.

“Our fitness level is where it needs to be,” White commented. “I’m pleased with the way we played.”

The Lady Cards will travel to Madison Southern on Tuesday.

Denis House can be reached at sports@sentinel-echo.com.

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