Young players move Titans to semifinals

Cosby sophomore Courtney Hook is making a name for herself.

The forward leads a contingency of young Titan players that are making an immediate mark on the program. Entering the season, Cosby coaches had no idea what to expect. The team graduated 13 players in 2009 and had just two seniors returning. But the leadership of Becca Wann and Lindsay Carns helped spark confidence in the squad and the Lady Titans seem to get better with each game.

Topping the list of impressive performances is Hook. She scored a pair of goals in the Central Region title game over Thomas Dale, popped in two more in the Titans’ Virginia High School League Group AAA quarterfinal 3-0 win over Ocean Lakes, and had a significant hand in the third goal.

“I feel great right now, but it took me a while to gain this much confidence,” Hook admitted after the game. “I just got hyped for the game and came out thinking I could do it, and it happened.”

Hook scored the first goal just 2:53 into the opening half. Junior forward Joy Grove collected a ball near midfield in transition and sent a perfect leading pass to Hook. With two defenders playing wide of her, Hook sprinted past the Dolphin’s last line of defense to go one on one with goalie Codi Massey. Without missing a beat, she popped in a 15-yard kick.
Hook notched her second goal in the 25th minute when a low header on goal from Wann hit the post. Hook redirected the ball into the net with another low header.

“That second goal, she made it happen,” Cosby head coach Roger Lattimer said in amazement after the game. “It started at the top of the key. She came around, pressured, picked up a loose ball, distributed, got the cross [pass] across. [Then] she got the rebound and put it in. I mean, how can you beat that? The girl covered 40 yards, starting the play and then finishing the play. You can’t teach that. That’s just desire to win.”

The Dolphins’ best scoring opportunity of the half came with 20 minutes remaining. Senior forward Kayla White beat the defense into the right corner. Her shot skittered in front of the line, hit the opposite post and bounced out, giving the Cosby defense a chance to clear.

Ocean Lakes continued to pressure and freshman forward Katisha Browne sped into the goal area. Though she had a clear look at the goal, she pulled up for just a second, allowing the Cosby defense to recover and make a play on the ball.

“We knew [White] was going to be tough. We knew we were going to have to mark her and not give her any space to shoot … and our defense did that,” Lattimer said. “You saw, she got half a step and the shot ricocheted of the inside post … That was the only time they really let her go, but you know, if you play 80 minutes with only one mistake, I’m OK with that.”

Cosby scored again in the 46th minute. Freshman midfielder Tessa Broadwater sent a perfect lead pass to Hook, who danced down the left sideline. Broadwater followed the play perfectly and received the back pass from Hook at the top of the key. Broadwater pulled up and sent a long, high kick off her left foot into the top right corner of the goal.

Broadwater created several scoring opportunities from the left side during the game.

“She had an amazing game,” Lattimer said. “She just did everything that an outside mid needs to do.”

Massey and Cosby goalie Nikki Pond grabbed seven saves apiece.

The Titans move on to play Loudoun Valley in the state semifinals on Friday at 11 a.m. at Westfield High School in Chantilly. The game time was moved due to Cosby’s graduation ceremony at the Siegel Center later the same day.