By Kevin Cunningham
Sports Correspondent
After starting the 2016 season at 1-3 overall, the Whitewater High School boys soccer team had an up-and-down week this past week. The Whippets were busy, playing five matches in six days.
Starting the busy six-day stretch was a match against Edgerton on the road on Sept. 8. Whippets head coach John Chenoweth broke down the 6-0 victory.
“The Whippets put together a strong performance across the board. Goals were scored by six different Whippets: Jake Walton, Hiqmet Dauti, Brian Reyes, Dalton Chenoweth, Johaly Xochipa and Mohamed Mohamed,” Chenoweth said. “The defensive back-line and keeper played solid to earn the shutout. Brian Reyes had a good night with the one goal and two assists and looks to be fully recovered from an ankle sprain earlier in the season.”
Following the victory, the team played Milwaukee Lutheran on the road the very next day. Despite the lack of rest, the Whippets pulled away from its opposition in the second half, winning, 3-1. The game was tied at halftime, 1-1.
Three different Whippets scored goals in Walton, Danny Soto and Sergio Falcon. With those three, three different players assisted on those goals thanks to Roberto Navejas, Thomas McManaway and Dalton Chenoweth.
Whitewater then competed in the Milton Invite which took place the very next day, limiting the team’s rest even further. That’s when it caught up to the Whippets, as the team lost both of its matches that day, to Oshkosh North, 4-0, and Verona, 2-1. Walton scored the team’s lone goal in both games.
After the invitational, the team finally got a couple days of rest before hosting Beloit Memorial on Sept. 13. Despite the rest, Beloit Memorial, a Division 1 team, showcased why the No. 4-ranked team competes in the highest division.
“The Whippets put in a solid showing in the first half, executing our defensive game plan well and moving the ball up the field,” Chenoweth said. “Beloit Memorial committed to putting many players in the box and eventually netted 2 goals in the first half. Coming out of halftime our players knew they had put some solid play together and were prepared to put in an even better second half. Unfortunately, we gave up two early goals and eventually had some nagging and new injuries catch up with us.”
Beloit Memorial won, 6-0. With the loss, Whitewater is now 3-6 overall. The Whippets have just six games remaining on the schedule and Chenoweth described the final matches as critical, because all six of its next opponents compete in the same division and five are in the Rock Valley Conference.
