HUNTSVILLE — Scott High opened its 2021 season in grand fashion last week, scoring a 5-0 home win over Campbell County.
The Lady Highlanders' big junior class owned the offensive end, with four of them teaming up for Scott's five goals. But the defense owned the night. Campbell County had just one shot attempt until midway through the second half, and scarcely seemed a threat to score.
Scott High junior Kaitlyn Butts watches the ball as she defends during the Lady Highlanders' season-opener against Campbell County on Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2021 | Ben Garrett/IH 
Scott High freshman Riley Lantz battles a Campbell County player for possession of the ball during a game on Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2021 | Ben Garrett/IH 
Scott High junior Chloe Tucker works the ball against Campbell County's defense during a game on Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2021 | Ben Garrett/IH 
Scott High senior Morgan Shelton heads the ball as she defends the goal during the Lady Highlanders' game against Campbell County on Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2021 | Ben Garrett/IH
“It was a good win,” Scott High coach Eric Henry said. “It was a good home-stand, it was a good win, and we got goals from different people.”
It didn't take the Lady Highlanders long to get on the board. Katie Tucker scored in the opening minutes of the match. She would score again late in the first half to give her team a 3-0 lead at the intermission, following her own miss. Abby Reynolds scored Scott's other first half goal, also on a follow.
Henry subbed early and often due to the heat, but was unable to sub as liberally as he would have liked because a JV game — which the Lady Highlanders also won by a 2-0 score — followed the varsity game.
“But everybody worked hard,” Henry said. “I don't think Kaitlyn Butts or Rachel Garrett came out of the game, and Riley Lantz got maybe a 2-minute break.”
All three of those players were part of the Lady Highlanders' defensive effort that Henry credited for setting the tone for the night.
“I think Kalin and Bella (the team's goalkeepers) had to punt two balls, so the defense did extremely well tonight,” Henry said.
In the second half, senior Gracie King — the only non-junior in on the scoring — put one in the net early. That's the way things stood until the game's closing moments, when Olivia Rector scored.
“She had worked hard for that, and she finally got it in right there at the end,” Henry said of Rector's goal.
In the JV game that followed, freshman Praylee Sexton scored both of the Lady Highlanders' goals.
The game was the first of the season for Scott High because last week's scheduled opener against Oliver Springs was rained out. The plan is to make up that game later in the season. The Lady Highlanders only have nine games scheduled for the season, and will next travel to Cumberland Gap on Aug. 31.
