TARBORO —
Leshaun Jenkins planted a lot of seeds last season when he took over the Tarboro Vikings girl's soccer program. He has plans of rebuilding it into a powerhouse so that his girls can compete at very high level.
Tuesday night was the beginning of the harvest of what he began to plant last season and it showed when his Vikings dominated the entire match and defeated the Rocky Mount Prep Jaguars 8-0 in non-conference action.
Shayla Thorne was the biggest part of the offensive attack. She scored five goals and made it known why she was selected to the All-Region team last year.
"The funny thing is Shayla hasn't gotten her soccer legs under her yet," Jenkins said. "She is still working on her touch for the ball and that just goes to show what type of player she is going to be for us this season."
Jenkins thinks once Thorne gets her wind and gets back into soccer shape she is going to have another dynamic season. Jenkins has high expectations of Thorne this year. She believes she is going to be good enough with another years experience that she will probably make the All-State team.
Tarboro dominated control of the ball from the outset. They didn't score their first goal of the match until halfway through the first half when Thorne crossed the ball over to her left foot and then back to her right and blasted a shot past the Jaguars goal keeper. Six minutes later, Thorne was at it again, when she found light between her and Jaguars goalie and took a shot on goal from five feet out that squeezed by the goalie to give Tarboro a 2-0 lead.
Five minutes into the second half, Julie Hayes found the back of the net when she was pushed inside the penalty box and was given a penalty kick. Three minutes after that, Thorne scored her third goal of the match and six minutes later she scored her fourth of the game to give Tarboro a 5-0 lead. Thorne wasn't done. She found the back of the net in an open goal for her fifth goal of the match. Hayes added another goal and Anna Johnson scored to end the scoring.
"I thought we got out a little slow, but I know the girls were real excited about their first game of the season though," Jenkins said. "We gutted out the rain and played through it."
Jenkins thought his girls needed a mental toughness game from the outset.
"I think the wet and cold weather made us tougher since we played through it like we did," Jenkins said. "I told my team once the season got in the swing of things, they could play through anything if they could tough it out tonight."
Tarboro was just as aggressive defensively as they were offensively. They only allowed the Jaguars to take two shots on goal and the first one didn't come until their was eight minutes left in the match.
Jenkins was proud with the way his defense performed the entire game. He didn't lose any players from last years team and is looking for senior Chandler Harris to lead to them again defensively.
"I think the quality of our play got better once the game went on," Jenkins said. "We were very aggressive from the beginning and I think we are a great starting point."
The aggression Jenkins was referring to was the 12 offsides penalties they had called against them. The Vikings tried to get the ball over the top to the front line and the Jaguars would move their defenders up and force Tarboro to wait for the pass at the last second. Once the game began to roll along, the Vikings were able to manage their penalties and made adjustments.
Tarboro only allowed the Jaguars to take two shots the entire match.
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Tarboro Lady Viking Shayla Thorne takes a shot on goal during the first half Tuesday night against the Rocky Mount Prep Jaguars. Thorne scored five goals in the match. Photo/Van Holland
Thorne scores five goals to lead Tarboro to 8-0 win
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Pinetops 300
PINETOPS – With the threat of rain during the weekend, it put a little damper on the Pinetops 300 Tractor and Truck Pull attendance. Friday night there was a large crowd in attendance, but not the amount it has been the last several years. There was 500 less people in attendance Friday then there was a year ago, but it didn't stop the pullers from slinging mud everywhere. The fans in one section even had a chance to see what it looked like when a belt breaks on a fine tuned machine. During the Mini Modified run, Thomas Coleman, of Stoneville, had a belt break on his KB 526 Pure Hell ride and the belt slung into the crowd. No one was injured.
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Vikings, Cougars compete in 2-A state meet
The Tarboro Vikings and SouthWest Edgecombe Cougars had six girls apiece competing in the NCHSAA 2-A state track meet in Greensboro Friday at North Carolina A&T State University.
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Six Tarboro girls to compete in track finals
Motivation is a big part of the Tarboro Viking girl's track team's success this season. They enjoy working hard during practice for their coach Rickie Dozier and get fulfillment when they compete in events. Friday will be no different for the six girls that are headed to Greensboro to compete in the NCHSAA 2-A state championship meet at North Carolina A&T State University. They will compete in three relay events and the long jump.
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BIG FISH
Camden Grant and her boyfriend Ricky Davis, Jr. caught a 10 pound carp at a state wildlife pond Wednesday morning off of Highway 33 just outside of Tarboro. Grant said she caught the fish on a piece of shrimp around 10:30 a.m.
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Vikings ousted from playoffs by Jaguars
CARRBORO – After defeating the No. 1 seed in the playoffs Friday, the Tarboro Vikings forgot one thing, they had to hit the ball again Tuesday against the Carrboro Jaguars or their season would be over.
Tarboro failed to be productive at the plate and were eliminated from the NCHSAA 2-A playoffs after losing 8-0 in the second round. Tarboro never gave in after getting down early, but they just couldn't catch a break offensively and get anything going after trailing by five runs after the second inning. -
Cougars finish 7th in state golf match
The SouthWest Edgecombe Cougars went through the regionals and won by four strokes. They just couldn't get it going in the state golf championships Monday or Tuesday at Longleaf Golf and Country Club in Southern Pines. The Cougars finished seventh as a team after shooting 658 over the two day period.
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Vikings advance to second round after defeating Bunn
BUNN – The Tarboro Vikings brought their "A" game and some lively bats with them Friday night when they defeated the Bunn Wildcats 7-5 in the first round of the 2-A NCHSAA state baseball playoffs. The last time the Vikings won a playoff game it was at the same location five years ago.
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Bess hired as new Vikings basketball coach
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Tarboro native inducted into Wilmington Sports Hall of Fame
Tarboro native and Tarboro High graduate Martin "Glenn" Sasser was inducted into The Greater Wilimington Sports Hall of Fame Sunday.
Sasser was named to the All-Conference and All-State teams during his high school career. He was also selected to play in the Shrine Bowl game in 1960 and then played in the East-West game in 1961. -
16 under softball tryouts
The Tarboro Parks and Recreation Department and Edgecombe County Girls Softball League will be holding tryouts for 16-under girls fast-pitch softball. The tryouts will takes place Monday and wednesday from 4 p.m. until 6 p.m. at Indian Lake Sports Complex on field three.
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