BY BRITTNI MCCOY
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

INEZ — Martin County waited through two cancellations to open its season, then needed only one half to beat Pike Central 11-0.

Seven Lady Cardinals scored before the mercy rule ended the match at halftime.

Jaz Jude led Martin County with three goals and an assist for seven points. Anna Hinkle and Hope Caldwell scored two goals apiece, while Faith Caldwell, Alivia Stacy, Jane Smith and Aaliyah Scott each scored once.

Faith Caldwell added four assists to go with her goal. Annaleigh Davis had two assists, while Jude, Hinkle, Hope Caldwell and Aubree Muncy added one apiece.

Brianna Muncy recorded the shutout in goal.

“I’m just happy we got to play,” Martin County coach Steven Gauze said. “We’ve had two cancellations, and it was kind of getting frustrating. The girls were coming into practice ready to play a game. It took us a little bit to get into a rhythm today, but once we started, I thought we did really well.”

Martin County already led 5-0 with just under 19 minutes remaining in the half when Davis started another scoring chance with a throw-in to Faith Caldwell, who was sprinting toward the goal. Pike Central’s defense closed in on Caldwell, who played the ball back to Smith. Smith fired from about 20 yards out and scored to make it 6-0.

Davis helped set up another goal with 16:20 remaining. She chased down a ball near the end line and played it back to Jude, who fired toward the net. The Pike Central goalkeeper got a hand on the shot, but the ball crossed the line to extend the lead to 7-0.

The Caldwell sisters connected on the next goal. Faith Caldwell sent a pass across the field to Hope Caldwell, who scored for an 8-0 lead.

Freshman Alivia Stacy scored two minutes later to make it 9-0.

Martin County kept up the pressure when Aubree Muncy sent a shot toward the goal. The goalkeeper got a hand on it, but Hinkle knocked in the rebound for a 10-0 advantage with just under 10 minutes remaining.

Faith Caldwell set up the final goal, finding Scott for Martin County’s 11th score with just over five minutes to play in the half.

The season-opening win followed a 6-0 preseason in which Gauze experimented with different formations and player combinations. One of those scrimmage victories came against rival Johnson Central, with the Lady Cardinals overcoming an early deficit to win 2-1.

“I thought the other teams we played were really good too, but of course Johnson Central is a rivalry,” Gauze said. “We stepped up to the challenge. They scored first, and you never want to see them score first, but we came back and scored two goals pretty fast. I was happy with it.”

Martin County is looking to build on last season’s run to the All ‘A’ state tournament Final Four.

“There’s a lot of potential,” Gauze said. “We just have to push hard to get to that point.”

Senior captain Faith Caldwell will again play a major role for the Lady Cardinals after piling up goals and assists last season.

“I want to help our team as we go through this season,” Caldwell said.

With much of Martin County’s offense returning, Caldwell said improving the defense was a focus during the offseason.

“We’ve been lifting and practicing every day in the offseason,” Caldwell said. “One of our starting center backs graduated, so we’re trying to help our defense and get it ready for this season.”

Gauze said captains Faith Caldwell and Londyn Fraley also set the tone for the team.

“My two captains, I don’t know what I’d do without them,” Gauze said. “They’re the emotion of the team.”

Caldwell said she tries to encourage the younger Lady Cardinals and keep them from putting too much pressure on themselves.

“I just want to lift up my teammates and help everyone out,” Caldwell said. “I don’t want them to feel like too much pressure is on them. I want them to have fun because this is the game we love.”

Stacy is one of those younger players who has already earned Gauze’s confidence. The freshman, who played for Gauze in middle school, earned a starting position and scored in her varsity debut.

“It’s asking a lot of her to play a wing defender, but she really earned it,” Gauze said. “To me, it doesn’t matter if you’re a freshman or a senior. If you can play and you put forth the effort, you’re going to play. She’s really stepping up, so I’m pretty happy with her.”

Caldwell has bigger goals for her final high school season.

“We definitely want to go to All ‘A’ state again for my fourth time,” Caldwell said. “We made it to the Final Four last year. Maybe we can be champions this year, and we definitely want to win the region this year.”