It took just 12 seconds for Habersham Central’s girls soccer team to establish its authority in the season opener Tuesday.
But for good measure, they tacked on another goal in the first minute just to be sure.
The next 78 minutes were a grind, but the Lady Raiders put away Johnson High 3-0 to get their quest for a historic season off to a good start.
Sarah Clark is now 29 goals shy of the school’s all-time record after she notched her fourth of the season right off the opening kickoff.
Addi Banks followed with another quick strike and it looked like a rout was forming, though it did not play out that way..
“It seemed like we scored so early that we got overeager,” Lady Raiders coach Jeff LaBarbera said. “We got out of the gameplan a little bit and rushed ourselves. We were excited because everybody wanted to score.”
There were many near misses, as the Lady Raiders (1-0) hit the post six more times during the game, including three on one attack sequence.
Clark headed one off the crossbar late in the game that was inches from being a spectacular finish, but it was that kind of night.
“It really should have been five or six goals, so I think it is a mental thing that we have to prepare for better,” LaBarbera said. “We have to be able to flip that switch and keep our emotions in check. We can’t sneak up on anybody now, and we have to be able to withstand that pressure. It’s a good learning experience for us.”
Annabelle Clark punched in a third goal late to give the Lady Raiders and their rain-soaked fans something to go home with.
The win also marked the beginning of the quest for the new Copa 985, in which the Lady Raiders notched the maximum 10 points.
They receive six points for a win, one point per goal (maximum three) and an extra point for a shutout.
The girls take on East Hall on the road at 5:30 p.m. Friday night in another Copa 985 game.