Prep roundup: Royals rout Blue Devils
By STAFF REPORTS
Mar 22, 2013, 14:16
PRINCE GEORGE – An injury-riddled Prince George boys soccer team played 80 minutes without generating much in the way of quality goal-scoring opportunities during a season-opening loss to Powhatan last week.
Those offensive woes were long gone by the time the Royals made their Central District debut on Thursday.
Boosted by the return of senior attackers Brandon Hilliard and Michael Kanney, Prince George racked up 27 shots en route to an 8-1 rout of visiting Hopewell.
“We’re a different team when we have everybody healthy,” said Royals coach Tommy Harrison. “Everybody on the squad was with us tonight.”
And nearly everybody got on the scoresheet.
Seven different Prince George players – four starters, three reserves – found the back of the net. Hilliard, Kaney, Victor Herrera, Bryant Marks, Darion Mealing, Renee Santos and Winn Watson all notched their first goals of the season for the Royals, who also benefited from an own goal.
Hilliard, an attack-minded center midfielder, finished with three assists.
“He always has a hand in something,” Harrison said. “He has really good vision and he’s able to play the ball into space. When he’s not on the field, some of the midfielders that we have who play his position are not able to do that.”
The Blue Devils trailed 4-0 at halftime, but Hopewell freshman forward Guillermo Laursen salvaged a measure of consolation for the visitors by scoring with 10 minutes remaining.
Valerie Belcher, Dallas Smith and Jo-Jo Taylor netted three goals apiece for the Prince George girls soccer team, lifting the Royals to a 9-0 road win over Hopewell on Thursday.
Prince George coach Kendell Warren said he considered the triple hat trick an unfathomable accomplishment prior to witnessing the phenomenon.
“I’ve never seen that,” Warren said. “In my wildest dreams, I never thought I would. I was shocked when I saw the score book and realized that Valerie, Jo-Jo and Dallas had scored all nine goals.”
The Royals extended their season-opening unbeaten streak to three games with the lop-sided result. Last year’s Central District tournament runners up have dispatched their opponents by an aggregate score of 14-1.
PGHS: 7 2 – 9
HHS: 0 0 – 0
Goals: Belcher (PG) 3, Smith (PG) 3, Taylor (PG) 3. Records: Prince George 3-0 (1-0 Central); Hopewell 1-2 (0-1).
BOYS TENNIS
Prince George 7, Hopewell 2
Singles: Golden (PG) d. O’Connell 8-0, Bonnell (PG) d. Lloyd 8-3, Tyler Thompson (PG) d. Thomas 8-0, Douglas (PG) d. Henderson 8-1, Fishburne (PG) d. Amos 8-1, Bryant (H) d. Tanner Thompson 8-2.
Doubles: Golden-Douglas (PG) d. O’Connell-James 8-2, Bonnell-Tyler Thompson (PG) d. Thomas-Henderson 8-0, Amos-Bryant (H) d. Brigman-Smith 8-1.
Records: Prince George 1-3 (1-2 Central); Hopewell 1-3 (1-3).
Thomas Dale 7, Colonial Heights 2
Singles: Hartson (CH) d. Nixon 8-2, Qazi (CH) d. Neal 8-6, Im (TD) d. Edwards 8-2, Mughal (TD) d. Napier 8-0, Khamar (TD) d. Kim 8-2, Schindel (TD) d. Galloway 8-0.
Doubles: Nixon-Mughal (TD) d. Hartson-Qazi 9-7, Neal-Schindel (TD) d. Edwards-Napier 8-5, Im-Craft (TD) d. Galloway-Kim 8-2.
Records: Thomas Dale 4-1 (4-0 Central), Colonial Heights 3-1 (3-1).
