WARRIORS WAY: Southwestern overpowers Somerset in rivalry clash

Photo by Jacob Pratt: Southwestern junior Lilly Nelson (4) lines up a header attempt for a goal past the defense of Somerset senior Ella Latavong (center) and freshman goalkeeper Caitlyn Sears (right) during the Warriors' 5-1 victory over the Jumpers on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024.

SOMERSET - The talk of the town heading into Saturday’s matchup at Clara Morrow between the Warriors of Southwestern and the Lady Jumpers of Somerset, obviously, was just how many goals would the state’s leading scorer Tori Robertson would score. After all, the Jumpers won last season’s meeting 2-0. However, both teams have been playing phenomenally this season and currently are two of the best teams in a pretty stacked 12th Region.

By the end of the 80 minute contest though, it was clear who ruled the county on the pitch this season, as Southwestern firmly controlled the pace of the contest and defeated their rivals 5-1, the most lopsided victory in the series since 2016.

Southwestern took control early in the game, as Shayla Jones scored in the fourth minute on a corner kick to give her team the quick 1-0 lead. Robertson got her first shot attempt of the game a minute later, although it was scooped by Jaycee Daulton in goal. Jones earned a corner in the sixth minute, with her kick dinging off the top right crossbar. Bella Gregory had a shot at the goal in the ninth minute that went way wide of the goal.

After several minutes of solid defense, Robertson had another attempt in the 17th minute on a free kick that was also stopped by Daulton. Clare Marie Ramsey had her first shot attempt in the 20th minute stopped, before she finally hit her mark four minutes later, with a shot from the sophomore on a free kick at the side of the box bending into the back of the net for a 2-0 Southwestern lead. Robertson had another attempt in the 26th minute that was again stopped as it was turning into a frustrating game for the senior. The Warriors turned it into a three-point lead a minute later as a corner by Jones turned into a successful header attempt by Lilly Nelson.

Photo by Jacob Pratt: Somerset senior Tori Robertson (left) fires off a shot past Southwestern senior defenders Austyn Hansen (10) and Cadie Layne (23) during the Jumpers' loss to the Warriors on Saturday.

This play worked so well that the visitors repeated it following unsuccessful attempts by Destiny Sadler and Ansley Mounce, as Nelson, in nearly the same spot, had a successful header in the 31st minute off a corner by Jones to make it 4-0 in favor of Southwestern. Talk about ‘head’line news.

Nelson attempted to get her hat trick in the 32nd minute but her shot was wide. Attempts by Robertson and Gregory were no good in the minutes to follow as Somerset just couldn’t get a clear shot at the net. With time running out in the first half, Austyn Hansen shot the ball from near the top of the box, with players expecting it to go wide. However, the ball dribbled snuggly into the back of the net, putting the Warriors on top 5-0 and turning this one into a rout as the teams went to the break.

Another free kick from Robertson in the 43rd minute went right into the hands of Daulton as the frustrating night for the senior continued. The defense of the Jumpers were clearly mad about their performance in the first half, preventing many shot attempts by the Warriors in the last 40 minutes. However, with misses piling up from Robertson, Maliyah Childrey and Isabella McKenzie, the offense was just not performing up to their usual standard.

Both Chloe Brotherton and Aijah Carrender performed well in goal during the second half, with both recording saves during the period. It seemed as if the state’s leading scorer was going to be held scoreless for only the second time this season, but Robertson was not going to let that happen. She eventually drew a foul near the top of the box in the 73rd minute, earning her a penalty. Her ensuing shot then sailed straight into the left side of the net, giving Somerset their one and only goal of the contest. 

Photo by Jacob Pratt: Southwestern senior Destiny Sadler (3) battles for possession of the ball with Somerset freshman Maliyah Childrey (right) during the game between the Warriors and the Lady Jumpers on Saturday evening at Clara Morrow Field.

A few minutes later and the time had expired, with the Warriors celebrating the 5-1 victory over their rivals, earning the sweet taste of a county-wide sweep after an earlier victory against Pulaski. Head coach Nick Stringer noted that his players were excited to come in and win this game.

"It is always good to come into a rivalry game and have the performance that we had. We have a good lineup right now, good tactics and our girls love to fight out there, and that has us rolling," he stated.

Southwestern improves to 12-2-1 and now has an eight-game winning streak. They will next travel to South Laurel on Monday evening.

Somerset falls to 9-5-1 and will next welcome in another crosstown foe to Clara Morrow on Tuesday, as they take on Pulaski County with a perfect district record laying in the balance for the Lady Jumpers.

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