3A Women’s Championship Recap: Weddington gets two first half goals and holds off Jacksonville 2-1

Two set pieces made the difference for the Weddington Warriors as Olivia Odle and Remi Roberts combined for both of the Warrior goals in the 3A State Championship game, besting a tough Jacksonville side 2-1.

Weddington had most of the possession throughout the night, but it was a pair of set pieces that provided the Warrior offense on the night. The first a goal game came in the 28th minute after sustained pressure by the Warrior attack won a corner kick. Odle stepped up with her left foot and dropped a perfect ball in from the corner to Roberts, who towered over everyone, to head the ball down on the goal line and in the net making it 1-0.

Some nine minutes later the Warriors won a free kick 40 yards from goal and Odle stepped up with her left foot again to drop a ball in the six-yard box to Roberts, again heading the ball to the back of the net and giving Weddington a lead they would not relinquish. Roberts was named the game’s M.V.P.

Jacksonville made a game of it in the second half as the Cardinals sophomore goal keeper, Megan Serrano, made a handful of spectacular saves to keep the team within striking distance. The Cardinals won a free kick 22 yards from goal with 28 minutes to play. Madison Hoopes stepped up to take the kick for Jacksonville slamming the ball off of the 5-man wall for Weddington which sent the ball careening past the keeper and cutting the lead in half at 2-1.

That was as close as the Cardinals would get as Weddington secured the school’s first State Championship in three trips to the State Championship game. The Warriors finished the season with a 24-0-1 record on the campaign, their only tie of the year came against the 4A Champion Providence.