Written by Athletic Facilities Manager and Coach Jarrett Van Meter
Coming off their first loss of the season on Friday at Gaston Christian, Asheville School boys soccer faced a quick turnaround in preparing for a Saturday date with Hickory Grove Christian. Whatever fatigue the Blues were feeling in the latter half of the back-to-back was masqueraded by another prolific offensive outpouring and an 8-2 victory over the visiting Lions.
Junior Declan Mettee notched a first-half hat trick, and classmate Andrew Han added another goal to give the Blues a 4-0 halftime lead. Mettee didn’t let up after the intermission, booting in another three goals in the second half for a total of six on the afternoon. Thomas Dawson netted the Blues’ other goal of the second half on a penalty kick.
Head Coach Jeff Mettee said his in-game conversations with his high-scoring forward rarely focus on scoring.
“Declan is pretty self-motivated,” said Coach Mettee. “As his coach, I have lots of things I would like to see him improve in his overall game. The focus of the conversations with Declan are never really about the goals. They are about how he can support his teammates, get into better defensive positions, and make smart decisions on and off the ball.”
Hickory Grove was able to tally two goals for the afternoon, both on penalty kicks, but it was nonetheless another sterling game for senior goalkeeper Cabot Thommason-Croll. Coach Mettee marveled at the progress his goalie has made in his four years on campus.
“As a freshman, I remember Cabot getting chipped from a half-field shot because he was so small,” said Mettee. “Physically, he has grown, and he’s worked very hard to improve his technical skills. I feel that over the years his decision-making skills have matured as well. His strength is his ability to make the reaction save. We are working hard to groom keepers coming up in the system, but he will definitely be missed next year.”
The Blues will take on Asheville Christian Academy on Tuesday and Bob Jones Academy on Friday. Asheville School defeated ACA 7-1 in the first meeting between the two teams on August 30.