Panther pride boomed through the hallways of Patton High School as the girls soccer team was cheered on before boarding a bus to the regional semifinals.
The Patton High School girls soccer team walks through the main hallway of the school Monday to board their bus to Mooresville for a playoff game.
Chrissy Murphy, The News Herald
The Panthers, who have ran a 14-8 season and upset two teams so far in the playoffs, will face Pine Lake Prep. The Mooresville school is the top seed in the 2A West Region with a 17-2 season with losses to Charlotte Latin and Hough. Patton is ranked No. 24.
Panthers Assistant Coach Will Singley said the girls had a solid start to the season before a bit of a slump, but the team bounced back strong.
“We’ve started to hit our stride again and they are playing so incredibly well,” Singley said. “(Coach) Keith (Scott) and I are so incredible proud of how well they have done and the support that they’ve shown each other.”
He said some nervousness is natural before the a game against the top team in the region, but he has faith in their abilities.
“I think with how well they’re playing and the confidence level, I think we will definitely make it a very competitive game tonight,” Singley said.
The school's band and color guard performed before the girls came through the hallway Monday.
Chrissy Murphy, The News Herald
The team hopes to leave Mooresville with another win, but it’s not the only thing Singley hopes to see out of the team.
“Sometimes in life there are always more important things than a win and showing your support for your teammates and of course being there for them is something that all coaches … appreciate a lot more than just the simple act of going out for wins,” Singley said.
The game starts at 6 p.m. at Pine Lake Prep, 203 Lions Den Trail, Mooresville.
Chrissy Murphy is a staff writer and can be reached at cmurphy@morganton.com or at 828-432-8941.
