OAK HILL – Cassidy Agnor had one wish for her birthday.
All the Woodrow Wilson junior soccer standout wanted was to see her team pick up a win over sectional rival Oak Hill Thursday night.
As fate would have it, Agnor’s wish came true and she also added a little extra icing to the cake in a 1-0 win over the Red Devils.
Midway through the second half, Agnor took a perfect centering pass from Mya Wooton and launched it inside the far post for the eventual game winner.
“Whenever I saw the ball come across, I wanted to make sure I kept my shoulders over the ball and put it in,” Agnor explained, smiling. “I always struggle with leaning back, so the only thing I was thinking was lean over.”
Agnor’s deciding goal was setup on a throw-in to Wooton who moved the ball forward with a header down the boundary.
“It was the perfect time because I was being man marked the entire game, but I think the girl was caught off-guard or something,” Wooton said. “London (Baker) threw me the ball. I knew I had the line, so I took it forward.”
Beating the defenders to the corner, Wooton turned across the end line, expecting her teammates to press forward.
“I knew I wasn’t going to get an up-cross, but I also knew I had girls behind me. I always do a negative ball because I know they will get up there,” Wooton said. “I saw both Cassidy and Sophie (Hall), so I knew I had to go negative. I did a negative ball so either one of them could run on to it. We had to do something different to get in there.”
After a frustrating scoreless draw Tuesday, Woodrow Wilson head coach Julie Agnor wanted to make some adjustments coming to the smaller field at Oak Hill.
“That type of crossing was among the things that we worked on in practice yesterday,” Coach Agnor said. “We struggle with shooting even at practice.”
Much like Tuesday night, the Flying Eagles dominated the majority of the possessions, but were continually frustrated with near misses.
Wooton herself had a couple of near misses that sailed just over the crossbar. Hall appeared to have placed one just below the bar for a goal, only to see Oak Hill keeper Taylor Suttle punch it over the bar.
“Taylor is a first-year keeper. She is as green as can be, but she is really coming along,” Oak Hill head coach Gerald Wilburn said. “She has some stuff to learn, but overall she has stepped us and has played well.”
Woodrow had a good look on a set piece, but it too was shot just over the cross bar.
“Getting the win was the big thing. We were a little cramped, but we adjusted decently,” coach Agnor said. “We worked the sides like we were supposed to and that made a huge difference. That is why were able to stay in their top third the majority of the game”
Oak Hill did not have many looks Thursday, but did have a couple of solid chances to score slip by them.
A good look on a corner kick in the first half could not be converted before freshman Jada Wilburn’s second half blast went just over the crossbar.
Fielding a young team, Wilburn was not totally disappointed with the loss.
“It was a good ball game. All in all, I thought we played pretty well with them. We didn’t have a lot of chances, but I think I may have played it a little too conservative,” Wilburn said. “That hurt us a little bit, but my kids handled them well. We have a lot to improve on, but going forward I think we are going to alright.”
Both teams are back in action Saturday. Woodrow Wilson hosts Hurricane at 11 a.m. at Paul Cline Stadium, while Oak Hill will host South Charleston at noon.
A 17 second moment of silence for @HHHS_Sports freshman Leah Strickland who passed away in a car accident last night….. 💔
Prayers for her family….#wvgirlssoccer pic.twitter.com/dvccrrrwAW— Rusty Udy (@rusman1981) September 1, 2022
