Patton soccer avenges playoff loss as Scott reaches 400 career coaching Ws

The Patton boys soccer program has been one of Burke County’s most successful at the high school level for quite some time.

And if the opening week of the 2025 season served as any indication, that isn’t about to change.

The Panthers have started 2-0, hitting the road to blast both South Caldwell on Tuesday and Lincolnton on Wednesday by 5-0 and 6-0 margins, respectively.

Wednesday night’s win was doubly sweet as it served as payback for Patton’s fourth-round playoff road loss to the Wolves last fall and represented head coach Keith Scott’s 400th career coaching victory spanning his 18-plus seasons with the Panthers boys and girls programs.

Currently, the Patton boys are the first soccer program in county history (boys or girls) to reach the third round or beyond in three consecutive seasons, having won 18 or more overall games in each of those years.

“You just think about all the amazing kids that you’ve had,” Scott said, reflecting on the milestone. “It’s mind-boggling to think of how many kids have come through this program, boys and girls, and they’re all good kids. It’s hard to find something that’s not positive with them. … It’s wild to think that it’s been this successful. But the kids have put in the work, that’s all I asked them to do.”

Scott also credited longtime former assistant coach Kevin McCloy, who retired after the spring 2024 semester, and mentioned that it’s “really special too” to have had two of his former players, Will Singley and Maria Mateo Francisco, as assistant coaches over the years.

“Kevin, especially, with all his help,” Scott said. “He was my right-hand man for a long time, and I couldn’t have done a lot of it without him.”

Patton on Wednesday led 2-0 late in the first half on goals from Samuel Quinonez and Jimmy Monzon.

The Panthers then put the game away with three goals in eight minutes spanning the halves as Quinonez found the back of the net again and Andres Garcia and Trevin Lavoie both scored as well before Tony Vicente closed out the scoring in the 67th minute.

Aldair Pinto, Gabino Vasquez, and Jacob Batz had an assist apiece, and goalkeeper Colsyn Queen (five saves) notched his second straight shutout.

Scott called Wednesday’s contest a “well-played, physical game,” and noted the stellar performance of defenders Batz, Vasquez, Jacob Ruiz, David Perez, Mylton Lopez, and Brennan White.

“It was a big win,” he said, “I had scheduled that game early because I wanted to make sure we’d get the chance to play them again. We were really focused. I thought we played well. We’re still getting used to each other, but overall I thought we dominated the game.”

In Tuesday’s win in Sawmills, Pinto and Monzon each had a goal and an assist, and Lavoie, Quinonez, and Garcia added a goal apiece as Patton outshot South Caldwell by a 20-3 margin.

In other games involving county teams, Freedom nabbed a 4-0 shutout victory at East Burke on Thursday evening in both teams’ season opener. No statistics from that game were available.

The Patriots’ first two scheduled games were rained out. The game scheduled for Monday at Hibriten was moved to Aug. 21, and the game scheduled at home Wednesday against Ashe County will now be played Sept. 18.

Draughn fell at Madison on Wednesday, 4-0, despite trailing just 1-0 at halftime, in the only other county contest this week. No statistics from that game were available.

Patton’s trip across town to fellow early-season unbeaten Freedom on Monday (Aug. 18) at 6 p.m. highlights a week full of county matchups. The others include NCSSM-Morganton’s opener at East Burke (Aug. 18) as well as Draughn at Freedom (Aug. 20) and Draughn at NCSSM-Morganton (Aug. 21).

VOLLEYBALL

East Burke, Patton both topple Freedom

The Lady Cavaliers (1-1) and Lady Panthers (1-1) were the only county squads to win on opening week, both defeating county rival Freedom (0-3).

Patton won by set scores of 25-19, 25-20, 25-21 at Freedom on Monday. The Lady Panthers served up 14 aces as a team in the win and were led statistically by Hannah Huggins’ 11 kills, three blocks (one assisted), and one ace, Soraya Hartman’s 12 digs, eight assists, eight kills, eight blocks (all assisted), and one ace, and Emma Griffin’s 15 assists, five kills, four aces, three digs, and three blocks (two solo).

Patton’s Leah Clark added six digs, four aces, two assists, and one kill, Carly Setterlind supplied five digs, two assists, and one ace, and Jolann Buff posted three digs and two aces.

The Lady Patriots countered with eight kills and three blocks (one solo) from Kaitlyn Hagmann, while Mia Furches chipped in with four kills, three aces, and two blocks (both assisted), Madelyn LeMaster added four blocks (all assisted), and Camryn Warlick had five assists.

Patton fell Thursday at home against South Caldwell, 21-25, 26-24, 21-25, 24-26, despite nice individual performances from a slew of players, including a triple-double from Hartman (22 assists, 15 kills, 15 digs, three aces, three blocks). Setterlind added 26 digs and six assists, Huggins finished with 17 kills, six blocks, and four aces, and Griffin had 19 assists, 14 digs, five kills, five aces, and three blocks.

East Burke’s home win Thursday over Freedom came in 25-15, 25-12, 25-20 straight-set fashion. The Lady Cavs were led by Carissa Towery (12 assists), Karlie Chester (nine kills, five aces), Braleigh Carswell (nine assists, three kills), Hermione Garro (17 digs, three aces), Sarah Angel (10 digs, two aces), Sydney Pyatte (five kills), and Addie Brittain (five digs).

Hagmann posted 10 kills to pace Freedom, while Warlick and Kennedy Denton (three aces) both had seven assists and two kills.

EB had dropped its season opener Tuesday at University Christian in Hickory, 18-25, 17-25, 17-25. The Lady Cavs were led on the stat sheet in that contest by Garro (16 digs, two aces), Towery (11 assists, three aces, two blocks), Chester (seven kills, two aces), and Amanda McLean (10 blocks, two kills).

Freedom’s other loss on the week came Wednesday at Hibriten, 17-25, 17-25, 19-25. Warlick had 11 assists and Denton 10 assists, while Hagmann (nine kills) and Furches (seven kills) also led the team offensively at the net.

Draughn (0-2) suffered a pair of opening-week losses against tough competition, falling 3-2 at home Monday against Alexander Central (19-25, 25-20, 20-25, 26-24, 10-15) and 3-1 on Thursday at Foard. Set scores and individual statistics were not available from Thursday’s match.

The Lady Wildcats were led individually in the opener by Bailey Mozeley (25 digs, 11 kills, four aces, three assists), Kylie Corpening (eight kills, four blocks), Peyton Brewer (nine digs, three aces), Macy Auton (18 digs), Shelby Proffitt (10 assists, three aces), Ashlyn Heavner (12 assists, three digs), Bella Whitson (seven kills, six blocks, four digs), Braylen Clontz (eight digs), Lillian Collins (five kills), and Ella Anthony (four kills).

GIRLS GOLF

Two Draughn players qualify for regionals

Draughn’s Emma Starrett and Kennedy Stroupe wasted no time in qualifying for this season’s NCHSAA 3A West Regional championship. They both did so in their first match, which was held on the second day of fall sports regular seasons across the state.

The Lady Wildcats duo played at Grassy Creek Golf and Country Club in Spruce Pine on Tuesday in a nonconference match that was shortened from 18 holes to nine holes due to rain. Starrett shot a 52, and Stroupe shot a 55. Draughn did not post a team score with just the two golfers (one shy of the team score minimum in girls golf).

“It got pretty wet out there,” Draughn coach Doug Stroupe said. “Their scores don’t reflect how well they hit the ball, but both scores were low enough for regional qualifying.”

Draughn is back in action next Tuesday (Aug. 19) in another nonconference match hosted by Boone Golf Club before opening Western Piedmont 3A/4A Conference play alongside East Burke and Patton on Sept. 2 at Forest City Golf Course.

Freedom also opens its Northwestern 6A/7A Conference schedule on Sept. 2 at Boone Golf Club.