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Photo by Christopher Lugo/Staff Highlands seniors Hayley Borino and Reese Schmitt high-five after a goal against Hayesville.
The Highlands School Lady Highlander varsity soccer team is on a hot streak, winning the last three games against Blue Ridge, Hayesville and Murphy, tying themselves with Swain County High School for first place in the Little Smoky Mountain Conference.
“We are just focusing on playing our game of soccer and getting another win at Swain,” Head coach Caleb Brown said. “We want to play the quick soccer that we know how to play. Two touch. Moving the ball. Pass. Move. Pass. Move. We are working on what we have been working on all season and we don’t need to change it up. We have a good team that puts in a lot of work, and it shows.”
In their game against Hayesville, last Thursday night, the Lady Highlanders scored four to beat the Yellow Jackets.
Gabby Diaz started right out of the gate, taking a shot but missing wide right.
Reese Schmitt then followed after with another shot that went wide right.
Soon after, Hayley Borino connected with Reese Schmitt on a through ball, but the shot went wide right.
With 27 minutes left in the first half, Reese Schmitt followed up on a shot that hit the Hayesville keeper, passing the ball in the net to go up 1-0.
Right after, Hayesville had a shot, but it went straight to Highlands keeper Ava Schmitt.
With 17 minutes left in the half, Gabby Diaz had a strong run down the right side, but the Hayesville keeper came up big with a save.
Borino found another opportunity at the top of Hayesville’s 18-yard box, but the visitors keeper denied her of a goal.
With 8:10 left in the half, the Lady Highlanders had a corner. Borino connected with Julia Schmitt, who bodied the ball in past the Hayesville keeper to go up 2-0.
Reese Schmitt had a shot at the end of the half, but it went wide right.
Julia Schmitt opened things up in the second half with a shot, but kit went over the goal.
With 32:05 left in the game, Caroline Woods had a hard shot that pinged the goalpost.
Borino had another opportunity, followed by Reese Schmitt and Gabby Diaz before 16 minutes left in the game, Diaz had a through ball that connected with Reese Schmitt, who buried it with her left foot in the bottom left corner to go up 3-0.
With 13:05, Borino had a shot at the edge of the 18-yard box, but it nailed the crossbar.
Reese Schmitt capitalized on a short goalkick from Hayesville with 10:55 left in the game. By herself, she buried the ball in the lower right corner to end the Highlands scoring effort with four goals.
With 25 seconds left, Hayesville had a second wind, scoring their sole goal of the night to end the game 4-1.
On Monday night, the Lady Highlanders traveled to Murphy High School and dominated, 7-1, to solidify their tie for first place in the conference.
With the win, the Lady Highlanders improve to 11-3-1 on the season and 9-1 in the conference.
To break the tie for first, HHS will travel to Franklin on Thursday at 6 p.m., to face Swain County on a neutral field.
This is the third time the pair will meet, Swain taking the first game 3-1, and Highlands taking the second meeting, 3-2.
State playoffs for the Lady Highlanders begins Monday, May 16.
- By Christopher Lugo