Walker has busy week in goal

By TONY STINNETT/ Courier Sports Editor

Lions keeper Kyler Walker had a busy week between the pipes as he recorded 20 saves in two matches for the CCHS soccer team.

He did his best work in a 3-1 win against Fayetteville High Thursday at CCHS. Walker registered seven saves and blocked two penalty kicks to thwart the visitor’s comeback bid.

Simon Morey scored two goals and Umar Rasul scored one and assisted another. Morey broke a 1-1 deadlock when he took a pass from Rasul and beat the keeper to provide a 2-1 advantage in the second half. He later split two defenders and one a one-on-one for the goal. Rasul’s first-half goal had staked the Lions to a 1-0 halftime lead.

“(Walker) was very strong in goal and really gave us a lift,” CCHS Head Coach Shannon Gannon said. “It was a good team win with clutch scoring, good passing, solid defense.”

The Lions came up short in a 2-0 loss against Community earlier in the week. Walker had 13 saves in the setback.

Cannon County’s defense kept the Lions in the match. Sam Sissom, Wilder Mankin and Conner Young were active and first-year player Marshall McReynolds proved to be a valuable asset to the line.