Highlands 2 Boone County 1

[FrankNicodemus]

The Birds traveled out to Boone County High School once again to play their 2nd regular season game against the Rebels.  Boone County sitting with a 3-1 record and Highlands only playing 1 game so far with the win against Beechwood back on Saturday.  I thought this was going to be a tight close game and it didn't disappoint.

The first half the Birds had a few chances but was just being denied by slightly errant shots or the darn crossbars getting in the way.  We fast forward until there was roughly 9 minutes left in the half, Boone Co attacker gets behind the left back driving into the box, the left back trying to recover takes a risky shot at a slide tackle from behind and unfortunately, gets enough of BC attacker to trip him up and get the infraction called on him resulting in a PK.  Parker Byland buries it to put the Rebels on the board with a 1-0 lead.

The Birds looked good but just couldn't get that final execution to pan out for anything in that half.

The 2nd half would be another story for the Birds.  I feel like the possessions got cleaner throughout the half allowing the Birds to really pressure the Rebels defensive third unit.  Finally with roughly 29 minutes left in the half the Birds get a corner kick where Luis McVicker serves one in the box that finds Nick Wilson on the far post making sure the ball doesn't go thru untouched drills the ball into the back of the net to tie the game up 1-1.

The Birds got a sweet goal 9 minutes later when Logan Nickelman received the ball at around the 40 yard line, took a quick look at where the BC keeper was and noticed that he was super high around the top of the box if not outside the box.  Logan took his chances and launched a rainbow of a kick that successfully went over the keepers head and into the back of the net.  Birds 2 Rebels 1

The Rebels put some heat on the Birds in the final 5 minutes with Sam Lang making some really nice crucial saves to finish the game.

It was a battle!  Glad to come away with the 2nd win in as many tries for the Highlands Bluebirds

Birds next up:  Saturday 4:15 at Ryle for the Union Classic against the State Runner Up from last year Lafayette

Rebels next up:  Tuesday night at Holy Cross (Covington)