Panthers prevail in battle of unbeatens

First-year Lakeside High School girls soccer coach Nick Edmond gives his team objectives to work toward each week to keep players focused as they roll through their Region 3-AAAA schedule.

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One week it was finishing off crosses. Another week emphasized switching the point of attack during another week.

The focus seems to be working. The Panthers beat Westside 10-0 on March 13 for their eighth consecutive win.

Both teams entered the game undefeated.

Lakeside improved to 8-0 in region play with the win. All eight wins have been shutouts, with the Panthers averaging more than nine goals a game.

The Panthers, ranked No. 9 in Class AAAA, should be tested to close the regular season with nonregion games at Woodward, a top-10 team in Class AAA, and at home against Greenbrier.

"The region's different this year," Edmond said. "We've got more club players on our team and other teams are starting their programs up. I am proud every game they are coming in working hard, trying to get better for the playoffs."

The Lakeside boys also had an easy time with the Patriots, winning 6-0.

The Panthers are probably playing for second place in the region after losing to Evans 1-0 on Feb. 20. There will be no region playoff this year because there are no subregions, meaning the Panthers had one shot at the Knights.

"Evans was a big disappointment for us," Lakeside boys coach Dave Morgan said. "It was a game we felt we should have won. We just couldn't get the ball in the goal."

The Panthers have benefited from newcomer Matt Tran, a freshman whose sister plays for Lakeside's girls squad, and from the emergence of junior Steven Campbell.

The win over the Patriots was the Panthers' seventh in a row against region competition. All seven were shutouts, with the Panthers scoring an average of 81 goals per game.

Like the girls, Morgan's team will close the season with stronger competition. The Panthers play at Woodward and Aiken and play host to Greenbrier and Statesboro.

"All four are real good teams," Morgan said. "That will help us out."