The Clinton Dark Horses kept their late-season momentum rolling Wednesday night, posting their second straight shutout with a 3-0 victory over East Duplin.
Senior standout Holden Spell continued his strong scoring run, finding the net twice while senior Brandt Sumner added one goal of his own. Junior Chris Zelaya recorded two assists, and sophomore Emilson Marcia added another as Clinton’s offense controlled the pace from start to finish.
Head coach Brad Spell said the win came at the perfect time as the Horses look to peak heading into postseason play.
“That’s what you want to be doing this time of year,” Spell noted. “With just a couple of weeks to go before playoffs, you want to be peaking at the right time. I still feel we haven’t played our best soccer, so there’s still room for improvement, but I like how we’re gelling and how the kids are moving the ball. I’m pleased right now, but we still have some work to do to finalize everything.”
Spell said finishing opportunities continue to be an area of focus despite the win.
“We get a lot of opportunities across the face of the goal, and sometimes our timing and movement is an issue on set pieces,” he said. “It’s just about knowing when to attack the ball and when to hang back. Timing and movement are still things we’re working on.”
Spell praised his son, Holden, for maintaining his scoring streak but noted the pressure will rise when the playoffs begin.
“He’s been on a little hot streak right now and needs to continue that through the playoffs,” the coach said. “He’s one of our main offensive guys, and we know teams are going to man-mark him when the playoffs start, so that’ll put some extra pressure on him.”
The coach said he has confidence that others will rise to the challenge if opposing defenses key on Holden.
“We’ve got Chris Zelaya, who can definitely do the job, and we’ve seen him do it in the past,” Spell said. “We’ve got Brandt Sumner, and we’ve got another two or three kids that can take up the slack if the defense shifts to one side of the ball. I’m confident in those guys.”
While Clinton’s offense continued to produce, Spell also credited his defense and goalkeeper Luis Bartolome, who earned his 12th shutout of the season and anchored a back line that has become one of the team’s greatest strengths.
“I’m a defensive-minded coach, and Luis is a big part of our defense,” Spell said. “He’s probably our biggest vocal leader in the back. The goalie is like a quarterback on a soccer team. He sees the whole field, and it’s important that he’s vocal and directs the defense. He’s an integral part of our success, and he knows he’s got some big games coming up.”
Clinton improves to 19-2 overall and 8-0 in conference, keeping the Dark Horses unbeaten in league play heading into the final week of the regular season. They will host Heide-Trask Monday for Senior Night, with festivities beginning at 5:50 p.m. The matchup will honor the team’s 17 seniors before the final stretch of the regular season.
“When you start thinking about retirement, you might as well retire,” Spell joked when asked about coaching his youngest son’s senior year. “It’s not time yet. I’m still enjoying it and still like being around the kids, so I’m still out mowing the grass, loving what I do.”