WHITE HOUSE White House High’s boys soccer team mostly dominated possession against cross-town rival White House Heritage on Friday evening.
White House High sophomore Donovan Dixon dribbles upfield as White House Heritage sophomore Bronson Holloway pursues during first-half action.
However, the Blue Devils had to rally if they wanted the result to match. Senior Mark Lees’ goal with seven minutes remaining made that happen, giving his squad a 2-1 victory.
Lees’ shot deflected off a White House Heritage defender and past junior goalkeeper Will Scannell for the deciding goal.
“The ball was just high in the air, and I was trying to read it,” Lees said. “I got under it really well. I was just trying to shoot it, and it went in.”
White House (4-2-3 overall, 2-0 in District 9 A-AA) dominated first-half possession as the Patriots did not attempt a shot for the first 24 minutes of a scoreless first half.
“It felt good that we maintained possession most of the time, at least 75 percent,” Lees said. “We didn’t give the ball away too many times, but they showed that if you give it away, they’ll score.”
White House High senior Matthew Smith takes a free kick during first-half action.
White House Heritage (1-4-2, 1-1-1) struck 1:07 into the second half as sophomore Bronson Holloway gained control of a loose ball in the box and beat White House senior goalkeeper Logan Trimmer.
Josh Dunlap scored from close range to tie the match with 25 minutes to play.
“We’ve preached character since Tuesday,” White House head coach Mark Lamberth said. “So, we had an opportunity, down 1-0, to show character. Whether we had come back and tied or won, that does not matter to me. What I cared about is seeing 80 minutes of character, and I got to see that.”
Reach Chris Brooks at cbrooks@tennessean.com or at 615-575-7118. Follow him on Twitter @CB_SumnerSports.