Auburn dominates Senior Night, extends winning streak to five games

Auburn soccer has won five games in a row after a four-game slide earlier in the season (By Jacob Waters, The Auburn Advance)

Everything went right for Auburn High on Senior Night as the Tigers cruised by Central with a 9-0 victory that featured five different seniors getting on the score sheet.

The win improved the Tigers’ record to 8-5-2 and extended the team’s winning streak to five.

“Guys played well. I thought they really celebrated each other which I think is important as anything,” said head coach Bill Ferguson. “We had a lot of guys looking to set teammates up and on Senior Night it’s really special when five of our seniors can put a ball in the back of the net. So it’s a lot of fun.”

The senior goal scorers were Jeremiah McDade, Chapman Marlow, Emmanuel Situmorang, Cade Edwards and Ben Bolding.

McDade was awarded the team’s celebratory wrestling belt which signifies the hardest worker throughout the game. With a goal to his name, the senior was ecstatic to receive the honor after the game.

“It’s just been a tradition for the past couple of years to just go out there and whoever works the hardest, earns the belt,” McDade said. “And I think it’s a great feeling to go out there and leave everything on the field and earn the belt at the end of the game.”

Coan Park, Cooper Fain and Colin Flanagan also got on the score sheet with Park recording a brace.

Jeremiah McDade was awarded Auburn's hard work belt after its 9-0 win over Central (By, Jacob Waters, The Auburn Advance)

From late February to early March, Auburn was riding a four-game losing streak, but since a 2-2 tie with LaGrange on March 14, the Tigers have won five straight games with three of those wins coming in regional matchups.

“We went over to Georgia and played some solid Atlanta teams. We weren’t at full force then and that’s no excuse,” Ferguson said. “We got to put our best team on the field no matter what but we’re playing good soccer right now, and I expect that to continue. The guys are really growing and really getting into that chemistry and especially in the attacking third. We had multiple goal-scorers tonight. I think that’s a reflection of our growth.”

With four games remaining in the regular season, including two regional games against Opelika and Smiths Station, Auburn is looking to close out the season strong before heading to the playoffs.

“I think we’re really strong. No matter what the game, we hope to improve,” Ferguson said. “We want to keep growing, so if we do that I’m really confident in our guys to continue winning games."

— By Jacob Waters, The Auburn Advance