CHEBOYGAN – Weather or bad, the Cheboygan girls soccer team doesn’t seem to care.
The Chiefs keep winning.
Thankfully for the Chiefs, the home opener had better weather than the previous two games to open the season. In front of their home fans, Cheboygan produced another quality performance to start the season with a 6-0 win against Roscommon on Monday.
Here are some takeaways from Cheboygan's impressive home display.
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A super fast start pays off
It didn't take long for the undefeated Chiefs (3-0, 3-0 Northern Michigan Soccer League) to take the lead. Sophomore forward Jaelyn Wheelock scored the first of his team-high three goals to make it 1-0. He was less than four minutes into the contest. About two minutes later, senior Taylor Bent pushed Cheboygan's advantage to 2-0 with a goal, and sophomore Morgan Davis helped the Chiefs take a 3-0 lead with 31:25 left in the first half. .
“It allows us to relax for the rest of the game and give us more time,” Bent said of Cheboygan's starting role. “The first week was tough being so far away, but it was great to be back here and play in front of my family.”
Sophomore Jillian McKinley and Wheelock each added a goal, giving Cheboygan a 5-0 lead at halftime.
Wheelock's hat trick showed off his overwhelming strength.
Wheelock completed a hat trick with 16 minutes, 25 seconds left to cap off a great night. Junior Addie Baldwin had two assists for the Chiefs, while Wheelock and Davis each had one.
With the win, Cheboygan outscored its opponents 16-0 through three games.
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“What we've been working on in practice is evident in the games,” Cheboygan coach Tom Markham said. “The best thing about that is we're going to continue to improve our game, but tonight we couldn't answer the serve that was hit in front of the net and we were so busy picking up the second ball. And I'm really proud of that. We have to continue to work on other things, being a little more unpredictable and looking for more options, but the kids played hard tonight. I'm really proud of them.”
Home team chemistry key
What was evident Monday was the performance of Cheboygan's cohesive team. Experienced players and young players meshed together on the pitch, paving the way for a lopsided victory.
“I think we can all talk to each other about anything,” Bent said. “We don't get sarcasm and we're all good listeners. We listen to what others have to say because everyone has a different perspective.”
Cheboygan will be at home preparing for Wednesday's game against Big Rapids Crossroads at 6 p.m.
“We had great weather tonight, so I'm glad we didn't have to participate in the slop fest,” Markham said. “I think we’re on the verge of playing really, really quality football.”
Contact sports editor Jared Greenleaf.jgreenleaf@gannett.com.Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter@Sports CDT