Falcons fight through elements, Eagles for 3-2 win / Soccer

By Jim Waller • April 8, 2019 1:30 am

Batting sun, rain, high wind and a hail storm as well as Renton’s Lindbergh High School, the South Whidbey soccer team clipped the host Eagles 3-2 Saturday, April 6.

“This was, indeed, a crazy game in which our guys just gutted out the win,” Falcon coach Emerson Robbins said.

South Whidbey went to Renton with only eight regulars. Among the missing were the top two goalkeepers, forcing freshman Ryan Morgan to man the net.

“(Morgan), who has never played keeper before, stepped in and did an excellent job,” Robbins said. “Ryan is an outstanding athlete. Our starting keeper…Julian Inches worked with him at the two practices this week, training him for the task ahead and Ryan came through like a champ.”

South Whidbey brought only 12 players for the non-league match and one was injured early, forcing the Falcons to play most of the match without a substitute.

Lindbergh scored first about 20 minutes into the match. Robbins then changed formations “to maximize our strengths and minimize our weaknesses,” and the switch quickly paid off.

“Rowan Dickerson one-touched the ball wide and deep through their back defensive line, and Graham Colar…was able to run on to it and shoot it past their keeper,” Robbins said.

Michael Lux put the Falcons ahead with a ground shot into the corner of the goal.

Lux struck again in the second half with a 35-yard, line-drive goal to make it 3-1.

Lindbergh (2-6-1) tallied off a corner kick with about 10 minutes remaining.

With strong play from the back line — Joey Lane, Sequoia Durham, Thomas Simms and Eli Waldron — South Whidbey was able to “stave off their last desperate attacks and finally coming away with a hard-earned and well-deserved win,” Robbins said.

“Our guys showed guts and determination under extremely difficult circumstances, and I could not be more proud of the guys.”

South Whidbey (3-0, 7-1) goes to King’s (3-0, 4-1-1) for a battle for first place in the North Sound Conference at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 9.