Playing their first three games on the road in High Desert Soccer Conference action, The Community School boys' and girls' soccer teams jumped out to scintillating 3-0 starts and didn't allow a goal last week.
Coach Richard Whitelaw's Cutthroat boys added 3-0 and 6-0 road wins over Gooding and Declo to their season-opening 6-0 victory at Filer Aug. 28. With four more goals senior Travis Stone (64 goals in 53 starts) kept climbing the ladder.
And coach Kelly Feldman's Cutthroat girls kept scoring in bunches, trouncing Gooding 7-0 Thursday and tacking on a 9-0 triumph over the Declo Hornets Friday. In another record watch, senior Cody Curran (30 goals career) upped her early-season scoring count to six goals.
Glad to finally come home to their Sagewillow Farms fields, the Cutthroat teams have settled in for a three-game homestand over eight days that will give both coaches a better idea where the teams stand.
The Cutthroat boys (3-0-0, 3-0-0 league) hosted the Wendell Trojans (0-1-1, 0-1-1) Tuesday in league action and then will have one of their two non-conference games Saturday, Sept. 8 when the 4A Minico Spartans (4-1-2, 1-1-0 Great Basin West) arrive at Browning Field at 11 a.m.
Whitelaw's squad is currently ranked #2 in the Idahosports.com 3A soccer poll behind Aberdeen. The boys entertain Buhl (0-4-0, 0-3-0) next Tuesday. Most recently Buhl dropped an 8-6 home game to Bliss.
The Cutthroat girls (3-0-0, 3-0-0) entertained Wendell (0-2-0) Tuesday and then step out of league action with Saturdays' home contest against 4A Minico (0-5-1), a 7-6 loser at Jerome this past Saturday.
Next Tuesday, Sun Valley hosts 2006 state tournament qualifier Buhl (2-1-1) in a rematch of the High Desert girls' title game won by the Cutthroats 6-2 last October. Victories in those three games would give coach Feldman 50 wins in her career.
First of all, however, Feldman was happy with the finishing ability shown by her squad, many who played for last fall's record-setting offensive power (73 goals, 15 games).
Cody Curran (2 goals), senior Hannah Hennessy (2 goals), senior Jessie Curran, freshman Daniela Stokes and sophomore Kerry Lee Nelson scored in the 7-0 success at Gooding. It was 3-0 at the half.
With Hennessy (19 goals career) finding the net for five goals, the Cutthroats breezed 9-0 at Declo Friday—leading 6-0 at half. Jessie Curran added two, Cody Curran one and sophomore Nellie Brown one.
"Man of the Match" for Whitelaw's boys was junior sweeper Alex Conn in the hard-fought 3-0 triumph at Gooding. Stone tallied both of the Sun Valley goals before half and sophomore Tanner Flanigan finished the scoring in the second half.
Gooding's attackers hit the post twice and missed a penalty, Whitelaw said. "It was a lot closer of a game than the score. Watch out for Gooding, they could develop into a good team," he added.
"Man of the Match" at Declo was senior center midfielder Connor Brown, who also scored two goals. So did Stone, while Lucas Vorsteveld and Bergen Palmer added singles in the 6-0 verdict. It was 3-0 at the half.
